The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) says it welcomes the 15-year prison sentence handed down this week to Daniel Mthimkhulu, the agency’s former head of engineering.

Mthimkhulu, appointed at PRASA in 2010, was charged with fraud and forgery in misrepresenting his qualifications to PRASA.

He claimed to hold a Master’s degree from the University of the Witwatersrand, as well as a Doctorate in Engineering Management from the Technische Universitat Munchen (Munich Technical University) in Germany.

Mthimkhulu was arrested in 2015.

The Johannesburg High Court on March 15 attached both Mthimkhulu’s immovable and movable properties in terms of a confiscation order of Section 18 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.

The court also ordered him to pay R5.8-million to PRASA to recoup the renumeration he received from the agency.

PRASA says the sentence meted out by the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court “will send a strong message to those who attempt to defraud or participate in corrupt actions at PRASA and other State entities”.

“PRASA will not tolerate any fraudulent behaviour.

“The successful conviction of Mthimkhulu also sends a message to those who previously engaged in fraudulent behaviour at PRASA and those who are contemplating illegal activities – justice is sometimes slow, but the long arm of the law does catch up with criminals,” notes the passenger rail agency.