A British businessman, previously a contractor for South Africa’s struggling power utility Eskom, has been extradited from the UK to face corruption and fraud charges.
Michael Lomas is accused of receiving kickbacks from contracts between his company, Tubular Construction, and Eskom for work at the Kusile power station, valued at over 1.5 billion rand ($85 million; £64 million).
“He allegedly manipulated contracts. He was arrested before but was released on bail and subsequently fled to the UK,” said national police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe to AFP.
Lomas has not yet responded to the allegations against him.
Eskom has faced numerous corruption accusations and is grappling with years of mismanagement that have resulted in persistent blackouts across the country.
Lomas arrived at OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg early Friday morning, in a wheelchair and heavily escorted by police.
According to Mathe, one condition of his extradition was the presence of a medical doctor on the flight due to Lomas’s poor health.
He is expected to be formally charged at Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court later today.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) requested Lomas’s extradition in 2022, but the process was delayed as he appealed, a request that was ultimately denied.
He faces charges alongside four co-conspirators, including two senior Eskom executives and two other businessmen, who were arrested in 2019.
These individuals have been charged with fraud, money laundering, and corruption for allegedly accepting kickbacks and inflating costs related to the Kusile project, which aimed to address South Africa’s severe electricity shortages but has suffered significant delays and issues.
Mathe noted that Lomas was a “wanted fugitive” and will be handed over to the Hawks, the police unit investigating economic crime, corruption, and organized crime.
The Hawks have been involved in this case since 2017, when a complaint was lodged regarding one of the tenders.
