Four days after President Cyril Ramaphosa held an unexpected “family meeting” about state capture and the Zondo Commission’s findings into corruption under the presidency of Jacob Zuma, South Africa has witnessed yet more high-profile arrests.
This time it’s Matshela Koko, former CEO of Eskom.
Koko wasn’t alone when the Hawks pounced earlier today, October 27.
His wife, Mosimo, and stepdaughter, Koketso Choma, were also arrested by the Investigating Directorate of the National Prosecuting Authority.
News 24 reports that the charges against Koko and his fellow suspects relate to “a multibillion-rand contract Eskom entered into with Swiss engineering company Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) in 2015.
“ABB subcontracted to a local company, Impulse International, where Choma was a shareholder. She received R30 million from the deal, some of which then flowed to Mosima Koko.”
Koko was recently in the news again when he claimed that the country’s crippled energy provider had been on the road to recovery under his tenure.
However, Judge Raymond Zondo found that Koko was a principal enabler of the Gupta brothers during the period of state capture, and recommended that criminal procedures be instituted against him, his wife and stepdaughter.
It has since been learned that a fourth arrest, of Thabo Owen Mokoena, was also carried out.
Mokoena received a tender for R96m through ABB prior to his involvement with Impulse International.
