GroundUp reports that the theft and fraud case against Mthuthuzeli Swartz and Nadhir Syed Mohiudeen was adjourned to Tuesday in the Port Elizabeth’s Specialised Commercial Crime Court Centre.

The case has been postponed on several occasions. Swartz is a former acting CEO of the Rail Division of the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa), while Mohiudeen is a businessman based in Cape Town. Both are accused of colluding to sell nearly 42 kilometres of railway line running between Sterkstroom and Maclear in the Eastern Cape. They allegedly received R1.5 million for the sale. Magistrate Nolitha Bara said she needed more time to consider a request by Mohiudeen’s lawyer, who wanted the case postponed “to have further documents and particulars”. However, Swartz’s lawyer Advocate Mzwamadoda Mnyani said his client was ready for trial. Mnyani indicated: “My client vehemently opposes any postponement of the case. The matter is old and dates back many years; as a result he seeks for a separation of trial. He will be severely prejudiced if the case is further postponed. He holds an MBA and is not employed. Each time he goes for job interviews he is asked whether he has any outstanding court case.” Public prosecutor Gerrit Van der Merwe said the state was ready to proceed to trial and it was opposed to a separation of the trial.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Joseph Chirume at GroundUp

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