Pretoria-The National Prosecuting Authority's Asset Forfeiture Unit has been awarded a provisional restraint order valued at R583.8m against former employees of ABB South Africa (ZAABB), their wives and Eskom subcontractors.
The Gauteng High Court granted the order on Thursday, and it has been served and enforced against the six accused.
At the height of state capture, the Swiss company itself was allegedly irregularly awarded a R2.2bin control and instrumentation (C&I) contract at Eskom’s Kusile Power Station in 2015 after allegedly colluding with Eskom officials.
It has since repaid some R2.5 billion back into state coffers in reparations to South Africa.
NPA Investigating Directorate spokesperson, Sindisiwe Seboka, explained that former ABB South Africa (ZAABB) employees, Mohammed Essop Mooidheen and Vernon Pillay, their wives Raeesa Mooidheen and Aradhna Pillay, Eskom subcontractor Impulse International (Pty) Ltd (in liquidation) and Indiwize Construction, are facing charges of corruption, money laundering, fraud, forgery and uttering.
“The offences were allegedly committed in relation to contract prices in 2016 and 2017 between ZAABB, as a subcontractor of Eskom, and Impulse. It is alleged that the contract was unlawfully concluded and that the contract price was inflated,” Seboka said.
Meanwhile, in October 2022, Former Eskom boss Matshela Koko was granted R300 000 bail on charges of fraud, corruption, and money laundering.
Koko has been charged with his wife Mosima Koko, his stepdaughters Koketso Aren and Thato Choma as well as Hlupheka Sithole and Watson Seswai, in relation to a R2.8 billion corruption matter.
The charges are related to the building of Kusile power station.
“In 2009, Eskom contracted with Alstom to undertake the control and instrumentation contract at Kusile power station. Alstom did not perform. Eskom engineers recommended that Siemens be appointed. The State alleges that (former) group executive (for) technology and commercial, Koko, influenced and abused his position to have Siemens, Billfinger-Mauell and ABB invited to bid in a closed tender,” Seboka said.
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