THE High Court in Joburg has awarded the NPA’s Investigating Directorate (ID) a restraint order, valued at R1,4 billion, against former Eskom executives and Tubular Construction Projects contractors.
ID spokeswoman Sindisiwe Seboka said the freezing order, granted in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crimes Act, was served and enforced on all the accused in Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo earlier today.
She said former Eskom senior manager for capital contracts France Hlakudi, the company’s former group executive for group capital Abram Masango, former Tubular Construction Projects CEO Antonio Trindade, businessman Maphoko Kgomoeswana, former Tubular Holdings executive adviser Michael Lomas and six companies owned by these individuals were served with the order.
In addition, assets belonging to their spouses and family trusts were included in the restraint order.
“The freezing order prohibits them from dealing in any manner with any of their realisable property,” she said.
Seboka said curator Trevor Hill, who was appointed by the court in terms of the order, did an inventory of all the affected assets that had been restrained pending the outcome of the criminal trial.
She said Hlakudi, Trindade, Masango, Kgomoeswana and Lomas were facing charges of fraud and corruption.
“Lomas was arrested last month in the UK, where he lives. The process of his extradition back to South Africa started last month and this matter will return to the London Westminster Magistrates Court on 20 May for case management,” she said.
Seboka said Kgomoeswana was facing an additional charge of money laundering and the criminal matter was scheduled to appear back in court on 1 June.
