The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has been granted an order for the extradition of UK fugitive Michael Lomas.
It is alleged that Lomas paid R745-million in bribes to influence the termination of Eskom’s contract with manufacturing company Alstom in favour of Tubular Construction Projects (TCP), a company that was contracted for Eskom’s Kusile project between 2015 and 2017.
According to NPA’s investigating directorate (ID) spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka, Lomas was a member of the TCP board at the time.
Seboka said the NPA has been trying for two years to get Lomas back in the country to stand trial. On Thursday, the Westminster magistrate’s court in London issued judgment for Lomas’ extradition to be sent to the UK Secretary of State under UN Convention against Corruption 2003, section 87(3).
“The trial date was 13-14 October 2022. Further, written submissions were received by the court on October 28 and November 11 2022,” Seboka said.
“Investigating director, advocate Andrea Johnson, hails the two-year-long fight by the ID to get Lomas to stand trial in South Africa, in connection with the R745-million Eskom Kusile fraud and corruption case. The legal process has been lengthy, and we are pleased with the judgment.”
Lomas was arrested in London on April 15 2021 and was later granted bail of £100 000 [R2.1-million current rand/dollar exchange rate]. Seboka said he also submitted an additional surety of £250 000.
“His arrest at the time emanated from months of talks with the UK authorities about the fraud and corruption case, where Eskom paid R745-million to Tubular Construction Projects. This exposed the state-owned entity to R1.4-billion in costs as per the escalation of the contract.
“Lomas has been indicted along four other accused in South Africa, who are expected back in the criminal matter at the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on 5 April 2023. Lomas was out of the country when his co-accused were arrested and he has never cooperated with law enforcement to stand trial.
“The investigating directorate brought an extradition application through the UK central authorities to invoke the European Convention on Extradition of 1957, the UN Convention against Corruption 2003, to assist in bringing Lomas back into South Africa to account.”
Lomas has seven days to appeal, failing which the extradition will go ahead.
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