AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY
Ex-Eskom chief Matshela Koko, his wife and stepdaughters among 8 arrested for corruption
Former Eskom acting chief executive Matshela Koko, his wife and two stepdaughters are among eight people arrested on corruption charges relating to a multimillion-rand irregular contract for building the Kusile power station.
The eight were arrested on Thursday following a joint operation by the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Investigating Directorate (ID). They were arrested in Gauteng and Mpumalanga. The eight are among a total of 17 accused in this matter, according to the charge sheet.
The accused include:
- Former SA Local Government Association chief executive Thabo Mokwena;
- Eskom’s former interim chief executive Matshela Koko;
- Koko’s wife, Mosima;
- Koko’s stepdaughters, Koketso Aren and Thato Choma;
- Eskom project director at Kusile (most senior on site) Hlupheka Sithole;
- Lawyer Johannes Coetzee; and
- Watson Seswai.
Koko and his co-accused appeared in the Middelburg Magistrates’ Court on Thursday on charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering.
Bail proceedings were under way at the time of publication.
ID national spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka said the charges stem from alleged irregular contracts valued at more than R2-billion granted for the building of the power station.
The accused in the Middelburg Magistrates’ Court on Thursday. (Photo: Bonga Mahlangu)
Construction on Kusile – one of South Africa’s “newer” coal-fired power stations – began in 2008 alongside the Medupi power station. In the National Assembly in September, President Cyril Ramaphosa said it would cost R33-billion to complete both.
Read in Daily Maverick: “Zondo arrests: Four held over corruption at Eskom’s Kusile Power Station”
In a statement, Seboka said: “The matter emanates from a long investigation that commenced in 2017 and [was] handed over to the Investigating Directorate. When we started in 2019 we also got some assistance from the SIU so it is a multi-agency initiative that led to the result.”
See the charge sheet against the 17 here:
Seboka said the latest arrests are not necessary on the recommendation of the Zondo Commission, but emphasised that the ID strongly believes that they are part of State Capture. DM
This is a developing story and shall be updated
Read in Daily Maverick: “Eskom Calls For More Arrests After Ex-ABB Employees Apprehended”
Also read in Daily Maverick: “Eskom: Zuma, Molefe, Koko and Singh branded key players in State Capture”
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Well done all!
Fantastic! Great job, Hawks, NPA and ID!
Such good news Slow but steady and hopefully their assets will be attached
Perhaps if the Armsdeal kickbacks had been vigorously prosecuted it might have set better standards. Nothing was done, kickbacks were given tacit acceptance – corruption gradually grew and spread…
Another handful of politically connected people who will suddenly fall ill with a mysterious disease and end up in Dubai. I’m not hopeful that this will be resolved honestly and lawfully, after all, where are the Guptas? And why has JZ’s stolen millions not been repatriated? Call me cynically, but nothing that has happened to those found to be corrupt persuades me otherwise!
What are the chances of them skipping the country? R300k bail doesn’t guarantee they will still be around when the trial resumes next year.
It is quite sad to see that people entrusted with the keys to our ESKOM were not what they were portrayed to be. Also, ABB was always a respected international concern? What went wrong? It is no different to Madulpi, Chancellor House and Hitachi. Sad really – another let down for the good people of ZA!
We know need Julius and Floyd in the docks and future starts looking a bit brighter.
They don’t look worried – clearly they do not expect orange overalls anytime soon ?
Orange overalls hopefully coming to then some time soon
Fantastic!!!!
Excellent news. Actually, probably the best news this year!! Well done to all involved.
Who is that guy in the blue jacket???
Shame the dude is trying his best to hide his identity.
Name and shame please????
Unfortunately, we do not have an independant police Force/scorpians so the quality of the investigation and ultimatly conviction rests on the Minister of police who was fired for corruption who reports to a president who hides dollars in his furniture-so expect these corrupt deliquents to manage these arrests to their advantage.
A pleasure to see but way too late-assets dissipated and war-chests hidden for legal fees. Shall only cheer when they’re sent down and ill-gotten gains recovered.
Still have that nauseous video of Koko’s daughter (step or in-law or whatever) squeezing into her brand-new Lamborghini at Melrose Arch-let’s hope!
More progress. Read also JP Landman’s latest update on the arrests and assets seized in the last 12 months. Could Cyril’s 2nd term yet prove all those nay sayers wrong?
I hope so!
Me too! But we need convictions and sentences served otherwise this is just window dressing!
NOG N WIT PROKUREUR OOK!! SIES!