Johannesburg - Fraudsters have hit some of Eskom’s top management, stealing the identities of four executives and using their bank accounts for unauthorised purchases.
Eskom has lost millions of rand to fraud over the past year-and-a-half. In the most recent case, some of the power utility’s senior managers had their financial identities stolen by a syndicate targeting big business.
The Star has learnt that in May the four had their banking details seized by criminals, and these were used to buy luxury vehicles.
It’s understood at least one BMW worth about a million rand was purchased using one of the victims’ bank accounts, and that other vehicles were also purchased in Durban and Gauteng.
Confronted with information on the case, Eskom confirmed that an unknown crime syndicate had targeted the four individuals and managed to take extensive details from all of their credit profiles.
“We cannot divulge the identities of these Eskom managers. Eskom’s forensic investigations unit has partnered with the SAPS to identify perpetrators, and investigations are currently under way,” spokesman Sipho Neke said.
The company also confirmed the syndicate had hit employees from other organisations and corporations.
Hawks spokesman Paul Ramaloko said the Serious Economic Offences Unit was investigating the case, but no arrests had been made. He was unwilling to divulge which other corporations had been hit.
Meanwhile, suspects identified by the SAPS for defrauding Eskom of more than R20 million last year are still on the loose.
The Star has seen documents explaining how they used insiders at Eskom to alter the company’s vendor details, then used them to siphon the huge amount of money out of the company’s coffers.
The suspects then used the money to buy items in Eskom’s name, leading to the discovery of the fraud.
One of the suspects allegedly tried to bribe Eskom officials to keep quiet about the scheme.
The documents detail how police believe the suspects have links to other cases of companies being defrauded, one of which lost R53m to the group.
While a case was opened in June last year, police have yet to make arrests.
“Several statements have been taken from all the parties involved. The case is still to be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions for a review and decision.
A statement from an overseas party (person) to an investigation is still to be taken before a case can be taken for a decision,” said provincial police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini.
A third incident of tender fraud rocked the power utility between 2009 and 2010, but the man allegedly responsible appeared in court for the first time only earlier this month.
A former Eskom employee, David Malherbe, appeared at the Western Cape High Court for allegedly defrauding the company of R65m.
Malherbe and his company, Energy Utility Services, were in charge of a project aimed at providing low-cost electricity services in Khayelitsha.
An investigation into the financial affairs of Energy Utility revealed that between February 2009 and July 2010, an Eskom subsidiary paid R65.1m into an Energy Utility bank account at FNB, while an additional R242 553 was paid directly to Malherbe.
The 59-year-old was released on R10 000 bail when he appeared at the court in early June.
The Star
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