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The unit updated the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) on Wednesday on its investigations into the energy company, which began more than two years ago.
FILE: Eskom’s Megawatt Park in Johannesburg on March 12, 2015. Image: EWN
CAPE TOWN – The Special Investigation Unit told Parliament it was seeking to recover more than R8 billion through civil litigation related to fraud, corruption and other crimes at Eskom.
The unit updated the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) on Wednesday on its investigations into the energy company, which began more than two years ago.
The SIU targeted the more than 5,500 officials it had referred to Eskom for disciplinary proceedings after they were found to have conflicts of interest, did business with the entity, or were flagged red flags in lifestyle audits.
The SIU said that 135 Eskom employees did business with the power company worth R6 billion.
It has also discovered that suspicious payments of R136m by four construction contractors at the Kusile power plant and four Eskom officials received R44 million in bribes.
SIU’s Eskom Principal Investigator Claudia O’Brien said investigations of three of the four contractors were at an advanced stage.
“We have found evidence that points to the commission of fraud, violations of the Law on Prevention and Combat of Corrupt Activities (Pocaca), corruption and money laundering.”
O’Brien said there was evidence of R100m in bribes paid to a subcontractor to secure contracts for cloud computing, software and licenses.
“Criminal referrals are being prepared. Civil remedies will be considered once the investigation is complete.”
Thirty-nine cases have been referred to the National Prosecutor’s Office (NPA) for criminal investigation, while 32 have been referred to the Asset Confiscation Unit.
SIU’s lawyer is preparing civil litigation to annul contracts valued at around 4 billion rand and the recovery of more than 8 billion rand.
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