NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY
COURT GRANTS ORDER FOR THE ID TO FREEZE ASSETS WORTH R1.4 BILLION AGAINST FORMER ESKOM EXECUTIVES AND SUPPLIERS
04 MAY 2021
The High Court of South Africa: Gauteng Division, Pretoria awarded the NPA's Investigating Directorate (ID) a preservation order valued at R1.4bn against former Eskom executives and former Tubular Construction Projects contractors.
The preservation order, granted in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crimes Act, was served and enforced on all the accused in Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo earlier today.
Former Eskom senior manager for Capital Contracts, France Hlakudi, the company's former group executive for Group Capital, Abram Masango, former Tubular Construction Projects CEO, Antonio Trindade, businessman Maphoko Kgomoeswana, former Tubular Holdings Executive Advisor, Michael Lomas and six companies owned by these individuals were served with the order.
In addition, their spouses' assets and their family trusts were included in the restraint order. The freezing order prohibits them from dealing in any manner with any of their realisable property.
The curator, Trevor Hill, who was appointed by the court in terms of the order, did an inventory of all the affected assets which have been restrained pending the outcome of the criminal trial.
Hlakudi, Trindade, Masango, Maphoko, and Lomas face charges of fraud, and corruption. Kgomoeswana faces an additional charge of money laundering.
The criminal matter is scheduled to appear back in court on 01 June 2021.
Lomas, a resident of the United Kingdom, was arrested last month and appeared in court in London on the charges he is facing in South Africa. The process of his extradition back to the country started last month and this matter will return to the London Westminster Magistrates' Court on 20 May 2021 for case management.
Sindisiwe Seboka (Twala)
Investigating Directorate: Spokesperson
Issued by the NPA, 4 May 2021
