Acting Ekom boss on leave as R1bn tender probe continues

Acting Eskom CEO Matshela Koko has agreed to go on leave. Picture: Nicholas Rama

Acting Eskom CEO Matshela Koko has agreed to go on leave. Picture: Nicholas Rama

Published May 12, 2017

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Cape Town – Interim Eskom chief executive Matshela Koko has agreed to go on leave as an investigation by a legal firm appointed to probe a possible conflict of interest asks for more time to complete its investigation.

Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown announced this on Friday as she briefed media on government’s decision to endorse the return of Brian Molefe to the helm at the power utility.

Koko took up the position in an acting capacity at the end of last year after Molefe quit in the wake of former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s report on state capture. She found indications that Eskom had gone out of its way to favour Tegeta, owned by President Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane Zuma and the controversial Gupta family, for a coal contract.

Koko is the subject of an investigation launched by the Eskom board into claims that his step daughter Koketso Choma was a director of Impulse International when it was awarded several contracts worth around Rbln by Eskom.

Koketso Choma, 26, is the stepdaughter of acting Eskom boss Matshela Koko. Picture: Facebook

“The appointed firm [Cliffe Dekker Hoffmeyr] has requested more time to complete its investigation. The board is of the view that the extra time is provided in the interest of the process…” Brown said on Friday.

She added that he has agreed to take leave until the investigation is finalised.

“I want to assure South Africans that the final investigative report will be transparently handled and firm action action will be taken against Mr Koko should evidence of wrongdoing be discovered.”

African News Agency

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