The case involving a top Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa official and theft of 42km of railway line has stalled for at least 21 months.

Listen to this article 6 min Listen to this article 6 min After a two-year delay, the criminal case involving the theft of 42km of railway line by a former top Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) official will continue now that the Gqeberha High Court has dismissed a review application filed by his co-accused in May 2022.

The high court review application was brought by Cape Town-based businessman Syed Nadir Mohiudeen, who sought further and better particulars of the case brought against him in the Gqeberha Commercial Crimes Court.

In the criminal case, Mohiudeen is charged with acting in concert with former Prasa acting CEO Mthuthuzeli Swartz to steal the Transnet-owned railway line between Sterkstroom and Maclear in the Eastern Cape.

At the time that the line was uplifted in late 2012 for the value of the steel, Swartz was the regional manager for Metrorail in the Western Cape. The State alleges that Swartz and Mohidueen committed fraud or theft by selling off the right to uplift the line to Akisisa, a company owned by cousins Cedric and Adrian Samuels.

Swartz and Mohiudeen allegedly sought a R5-million payment from Akisisa for the right to uplift the rail,...