A British businessman, Michael Lomas, has been extradited from the UK to South Africa to face charges of corruption and fraud related to his former contracting work with the troubled power utility, Eskom. Lomas, who operated through his firm Tubular Construction, is accused of receiving kickbacks on contracts worth over 1.5 billion rand ($85 million) for the Kusile power station project.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe stated that Lomas allegedly manipulated contracts and had previously fled to the UK after being granted bail following his arrest. He arrived at OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg early Friday morning in a wheelchair and under heavy police escort, with a medical doctor present due to his poor health.
Lomas is scheduled to be formally charged at the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court later today. His extradition process, requested by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in 2022, was delayed due to an unsuccessful appeal.
He faces charges alongside four alleged co-conspirators, including two senior Eskom executives and two other businessmen, all arrested in 2019 for fraud, money laundering, and corruption related to inflating project costs intended to alleviate South Africa’s electricity shortages. The Hawks, South Africa’s elite anti-corruption police unit, have been investigating this case since 2017, initiated by a complaint regarding one of the tenders.
