Moneyweb
Eskom’s former acting CEO Matshela Koko, Hlupheka Sithole, together with Watson Seswai and former CEO of the South African Local Government Association (Salga) Thabo Mokwena, were granted R300 000 bail each, following their arrests on Thursday in connection with a “R2.2 billion matter” linked to the building of Kusile Power Station.
Koko and several others, who were also arrested, appeared at the Middelburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on charges of corruption, fraud, and money laundering.
The broader group of the accused – including Koko’s wife Mosima Koko, his stepdaughters Koketso Aren and Thato Chomba, and lawyer Johannes Coetzee – were granted R70 000 bail each in an earlier court appearance on Thursday.
The state alleges that during the period in which Koko served as Eskom’s group executive for technology and commercial, he “influenced and abused” his position to have Siemens, Billfinger-Mauell and ABB South Africa invited to bid for a closed tender.
This, after Alstom, which was initially contracted to undertake the control and instrumentation (C&I) contract at Kusile Power Station in 2009, failed to perform.
The state further alleges that money flowed from the multibillion-rand contract and that this was the first attempt to launder money on Koko’s behalf.
It says several contracts were awarded between 2015 and 2017, of which four form part of the matter for Impulse International. “They were providing Eskom and Rotek Industries with SAP work packages, specialised engineers, and managers to oversee the different interphase contractors amongst other functions.”
The state further alleges that a portion of the contracts in question was used to “butter hands”.
It says court papers claim that money laundering vehicles were set up by Coetzee to siphon money from Impulse International to benefit Koko’s family.
“This arrest is about accountability and rule of law,” says Advocate Andrea Johnson of the NPA’s ID.
“We must execute the NPA’s constitutional mandate for justice. It is imperative for the country and its people that we serve without fear, favour or prejudice.”
The matter is to return to court on 23 March 2023.
For the full story visit www.moneyweb.co.za
