It never rains but pours for corruption-accused former Eskom contractor Michael Harry Lomas as he suffered a nosebleed and cut his hand after he slipped and fell in prison on Monday morning.
A month ago, Lomas took a cold shower in prison before appearing in court.
On Monday, Lomas, the former construction company Group Five CEO, made a brief appearance at the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court .
He was extradited in September from the UK.
He is facing 65 counts of corruption linked to a R1.4-billion contract that was meant for the upgrade of Eskom’s Kusile power station in Mpumalanga between 2014 and 2017.
During court proceedings on Monday, he stood in the accused dock with a walker in front of him and wore a neck brace.
At certain times of the proceedings, Lomas used his left hand to massage and scratch the right side of his shoulder.
Corruption at Kusile power station
The state prosecutor, whose identity is known to Sunday World but cannot be named because of a court order, made a request for the matter to be transferred to the Johannesburg High Court so that Lomas can be joined to a matter involving 11 other accused persons.
The matter at the Johannesburg High Court involves the alleged corruption involving Eskom’s Kusile power station upgrade.
Lomas’ lawyer, advocate Manie Witz, did not object to the request and said Lomas will not bring a formal bail application at this stage.
He said Lomas is not abandoning his bail and reserves his right to bring a formal bail application at a later stage.
Witz said Lomas arrived late in court on Monday because he slipped and fell in prison.
“His nose was bleeding, and he suffered a cut on his hand. This happened after he slipped and fell and hit his head on the basin. He took quite a bad knock,” said Witz.
“The prison’s medical doctors were able to attend to him, and he received proper medical treatment. He is fine now.”
Magistrate Phillip Venter postponed the matter to December 3 for Lomas to be joined to the matter at the Johannesburg High Court. He remains in police custody.
Intensive investigation
The spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority’s investigating directorate against corruption (IDAC), Henry Mamothame, said the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), in collaboration with prosecutors from IDAC, conducted an intensive investigation into the alleged corruption involving the upgrade of Kusile power station.
“The probe was into the alleged corruption at Kusile power station. Eleven other accused are facing similar charges,” said Mamothame.
“Following the arrest and court appearance of the 11 accused, the asset forfeiture unit was granted a restraint order valued at approximately R1.4-billion against their assets.
“The matter for the 11 accused is currently before the Johannesburg High Court. Lomas will be charged and processed in the lower court.
“This will be before his matter is combined with the one at the Johannesburg High Court. The matter [at the Johannesburg High Court] is prosecuted by IDAC.”
