Limpopo businessman’s R5m tax fraud case on hold till September

The Pretoria Regional Court on Wednesday postponed the tax fraud case against Limpopo businessman Maphoko Hudson Kgomoeswana to 8 September 2021.

Kgomoeswana, a former supplier at Eskom’s Kusile power station, faces tax evasion charges valued at R5 million, related to his personal and business tax involving his company Babinatlou Business Services, between the period 2016 to 2018.

The case against was expected to get underway on Wednesday, but had to be postponed after he changed lawyers on Tuesday.

ALSO READ: Eskom R745 million Kusile corruption case moved to August

According to the NPA’s Investigating Directorate (ID), Kgomoeswana informed the court of the change in his legal representation minutes before he was expected to plead to the charges against him.

“The trial date was announced four months ago in April and no indication was made of possibilities of changing lawyers,” said ID spokesperson, Sindisiwe Twala, in a brief statement.

These charges against Kgomoeswana emanated from an investigation of the controversial R745 million Eskom Kusile power station corruption case.

“The Limpopo businessman and his company are accused of facilitating bribes in the fraud and corruption matter and he is currently out on R300 000 bail in that other matter,” Twala said.

The R745 million corruption case was postponed to 19 August to allow former Eskom senior official France Hlakudi to find a new lawyer, after a second attorney withdrew from his case due to financial reasons.

Hlakudi and his co-accused – Eskom’s former group executive for the group capital division Abram Masango, businessman Maphoko Kgomoeswana, and Tubular Construction CEO Antonio Trindade – face various charges, including fraud, corruption, and money laundering related to the construction of the multibillion-rand power plant.