Daniel Mtimkulu, a former senior official at South Africa’s state-owned Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Tuesday for committing fraud and forgery. The sentencing came after Mtimkulu, 49, was found guilty of three counts of fraud and forgery in 2022, including falsifying his academic qualifications and fabricating a job offer.
Mtimkulu, who resigned from his position as head of engineering at PRASA shortly before his arrest in 2015, was convicted for deceiving the agency with fake university degrees and a forged employment offer from a rival company. This fraud led to an increase in his salary from approximately $90,000 to $155,000 annually.
The court sentenced Mtimkulu to 15 years for the first count of fraud, with six years for each of the remaining two counts, all to be served concurrently. In addition to his prison term, he was ordered to repay $323,000 to PRASA, deemed to be proceeds from his criminal activities.
During his tenure at PRASA, Mtimkulu was responsible for overseeing a deal valued at over $100 million for the purchase of new train locomotives from Spain. However, these locomotives were later discovered to be incompatible with South Africa’s rail infrastructure, rendering them unusable. This contract was among several at PRASA suspected of involving bribes and kickbacks.
The case is part of a broader investigation into corruption and mismanagement within South Africa’s state-owned enterprises. A recent report from a special unit investigating high-level corruption indicated that over $7 billion may have been lost to graft within these companies, including PRASA.