IOL Ex Eskom contractor Antonio Trindade has been declared mentally unfit to stand trial.
Image: Timothy Bernard, African News Agency (ANA)
Former Eskom contractor Antonio Trindade has been declared medically unfit to stand trial.
He is among 12 people charged with corruption and fraud in relation to the R1.4 billion upgrade to the Kusile Power Station in Mpumalanga between 2014 and 2017.
Speaking about court proceedings in the Johannesburg High Court on Tuesday, the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) said the Sterkfontein Hospital declared Trindade unfit to stand trial.
"He underwent a medical assessment to determine his fitness to stand trial," explained IDAC spokesperson Henry Mamothame
He said Trindade's matter was subsequently separated and he would be back in court on May 8, 2025, for further medical re-assessment.
The other accused include former Eskom manager Frans Hlakudi and former Eskom contractor Michael Lomas, who was recently extradited from the United Kingdom.
They all face charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering in relation to the R1.4 billion meant for the upgrade of Kusile Power Station in Mpumalanga between 2014 and 2017.
Lomas, who is facing 65 counts of corruption, is likely to spend Christmas in jail while the other accused are out on bail.
At an earlier court appearance, Lomas reserved his right to a bail application.
His extradition was granted in August and he arrived in South Africa in September.
He was arrested on April 15, 2021, in London and granted hefty bail of £100,000 (around R1.7 million in April 2021), and he further submitted an additional surety of £250,000 (about R4.3 million in April 2021).
IOL News
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