
The deal was entered into in 2016 and has now been found to be fraudulent.
A businessman trading with a company called Meagra Transportation has reportedly admitted to submitting fake invoices to Eskom for transporting coal, for almost 3 years Victor Tshabalala said he was claiming to supply coal in Mpumalanga to the state-owned entity with his trucks.
An amount of R35 million was allegedly made between January 2016 and September 2018 while Tshabalala continued to submit the invoices to Bernard Moraka who was financial controller at the time before he resigned in October 2018.
The two are at the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court where they are accused of defrauding Eskom. Here, Tshabalala vows he will assist the state and reveal all details about the deals that were allegedly facilitated by Moraka.
Officials say the appearing in court of the two is part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s clean-up campaign on state-owned institutions.
The Star reports that this week Tuesday 5 November 2019 Tshabalala, the only owner of Meagra Transportation, told the court of how he worked “in concert” with Moraka when he gave evidence in court.
53 fake invoices were allegedly submitted between 2016 and 2018.
Moraka is accused of claiming that Tshabalala’s company had transported coal for Eskom in Mpumalanga when such work was allegedly not done.
Tshabalala’s affidavit was presented in court as part submissions he made during his bail application, which the State did not oppose.
“I do not deny that I acted in concert (to defraud the SOE), and will work with the complainant (Eskom) to recover its monies.
“It will be in the public interest and the interest of justice for the complainant to recover all its monies. I accept that the charges against me are serious,” Tshabalala said in his affidavit.
(edited by ZK)
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