Eskom’s corruption case against Lomas transferred to high court

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The Palm Ridge Regional Court has transferred the corruption case against Michael Harry Lomas to the Johannesburg High Court, where he will appear on Tuesday, December 3. 

The 77-year-old will remain in custody as he did not make any formal bail application, the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption(IDAC) confirmed. 

Lomas appeared in the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crime Court in Palm Ridge on Monday, where he was told that his case was being transferred to the High Court to include three co-accused.

“Your case, at the request of the state, is now going to be transferred to the Gauteng, Johannesburg High Court decision. You will there be joined by other co-accused persons,” said Magistrate Philip Venter.

Henry Mamothame, spokesperson for the IDAC said Lomas will be joined with 11 others, that include Eskom’s senior executives and Tibular Construction Projects directors.

Lomas, co-accused facing multiple counts of corruption

“They are facing 65 counts of corruption linked to the R1,4 billion that was meant for the upgrade of Eskom’s Kusile power station in Mpumalanga between 2014 and 2017,” he added.  

Lomas was extradited and landed in South Africa from the United Kingdom on September 20, 2024.

He was arrested by the authorities in April 15 and released on bail in May 20, 2021 and lodged an appeal against the extradition order, and he was unsuccessful.

Furthermore, Mamothame revealed that he launched four more appeals which were all dismissed.

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“In an attempt to evade extradition to South Africa, he lodged an application with the European Court of Human Rights, and it was also unsuccessful,” said Mamothame.

The IDAC said the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) of the NPA was granted a restraint order valued at approximately R1.4 billion against their assets.