Eleven years after this journalist first exposed dodgy property dealings involving Lucky Montana, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) is finally moving to claw back assets that the former Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) boss allegedly acquired through corruption.

The Special Tribunal, which was set up to help recover public funds that went missing through alleged corruption in the public sector, has granted the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) an interim preservation order to freeze two properties owned by former Prasa boss Lucky Montana.

This comes after the SIU had obtained evidence that the properties were bankrolled by a Prasa contractor, one that had secured contracts from the public rail operator worth more than R5-billion during Montana's time in charge of the state-owned entity (SOE).

The SIU's latest move against Montana comes 11 years after this journalist first detailed questionable property transactions linking him to the contractor and the firm's lawyer.

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Investigations published from 2015 to as recently as this year unpacked suspicious cash flows and property dealings that tied Montana to Siyangena Technologies and various entities and individuals associated with the Gauteng-based firm. The investigations were published in Rapport newspaper, News24 and, finally, Daily Maverick.

Between 2011 and 2015, Siyangena secured contracts from Prasa worth R5.6-billion for an Integrated Security Access Management System, which encompassed electronic security gates, cameras and related equipment at Prasa train stations across the country.

The suspicious financial dealings, meanwhile, involved five upmarket properties in...