Report exposes how former Eskom chair Ngubane tried to blacklist media
A draft forensic report into allegations of looting at Transnet and Eskom commissioned by Treasury contains evidence of a five-year looting spree by those linked to the Guptas.
Ngubane abruptly resigned from the Eskom board amid a slew of corruption allegations against him.
Former Eskom board chairperson Ben Ngubane sought to blacklist newspapers that published stories critical of the power utility, Business Day has reported.
A draft forensic report into allegations of looting at Transnet and Eskom commissioned by National Treasury contains these and other explosive allegations.
Produced by Fundudzi Forensic Services, the report is said to provide details of how those linked to the Guptas looted state entities for five years.
The report also reveals Ngubane wrote a letter to former public enterprises minister Lynne Brown, headed ‘Suspension of contact in any form whatsoever and/or commercial relationship with the Mail and Guardian, City Press and the Sunday Times’.
The letter, which was sent on September 30, 2015, was forwarded by former Eskom executive Matshela Koko to a Gupta-linked associate.
READ MORE: Treasury receives report on allegedly dodgy Eskom deal
ANA reported on Sunday that Treasury had received the report on alleged irregularities regarding Eskom’s coal-supply contract with Gupta-owned Tegeta and Transnet’s purchase of rail locomotives from China South Rail.
“Further to the announcement of 4 August 2017, National Treasury has received the draft forensic report on the alleged irregularities in the awarding by Eskom of a coal contract to Tegeta and in Transnet’s procurement of locomotives from China South Rail,” Treasury said in a brief statement on Sunday.
The report had been given to the relevant parties for comment. These parties had been given two weeks to respond. Treasury would make the report public once it had reviewed all the comments, the statement said.
Gupta mining company Tegeta Exploration was given a controversial R587-million “prepayment” by Eskom within six hours of South Africa’s three major banks refusing to finance its bid to buy Optimum coalmines in Mpumalanga.
Tequesta, owned by Gupta lieutenant Salim Essa, allegedly received R5.3 billion in kickbacks from China South Rail to secure part of Transnet’s R50-billion locomotive acquisition contract, according to media reports.
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
For more news your way
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
