The former head of engineering services at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, Daniel Mthimkhulu, has been convicted of three counts of fraud by the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crime Court in Palm Ridge, the Gauteng local division of the National Prosecuting Authority said on Monday.

Mthimkhulu, who played a central role in the "too tall" trains tender scandal, made headlines when he exited the rail agency in 2015, following reports that he had misrepresented his qualifications in order to get his position as head of engineering services.

Mthimkhulu's annual salary had grown from R1.6-million as executive manager heading up engineering services to R2.8-million.

The NPA statement said Mthimkhulu was charged with nine counts of fraud for allegedly misrepresenting his qualifications to PRASA, claiming to have a master's degree from the University of Witwatersrand, and a doctorate in engineering management from the Technische Universitat Munchen in Germany. 

"In June 2010, he lied to PRASA about a received job offer from a German engineering firm, for a position as an engineering services specialist at a salary of R2.8-million per annum. Consequently, PRASA made Mthimkhulu a counter-offer in September 2010 at a salary of R2.8-million," the statement said.

According to the statement, state advocate James Bhengu from the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit (SCCU) of the NPA argued that PRASA suffered prejudice after employing Mthimkhulu "under a false and fraudulent profile".

"The court should reject his version that his Curriculum Vitae was manipulated by a third party. It is farfetched and strange. His actions exacerbated the financial situation at the rail agency that was already suffering from financial constraints," said Bhengu.

The NPA statement said the case was remanded to 24 February 2022 to allow a new regional magistrate to take over the sentencing proceedings.

When approached for comment on Monday afternoon, PRASA spokesperson Andiswa Makanda said the agency's chair Leonard Ramatlakane would hold a media briefing in Johannesburg on Tuesday afternoon.