According to reports from South Africa, a mother, her son, and a senior buyer from Eskom have been arrested for allegedly committing R14m tender fraud

A senior buyer at Eskom and a mother and son are due to appear in court over allegations of defrauding the power utility of R14.7 million. The accused, Rabela Sara Jones (71) and Godfrey Jason Jones (46) were arrested eight years after the crime was committed, along with former Eskom employee Thandeka Nkosi, who has been remanded in custody as reported by Briefly.

Following an investigation by the Hawks’ Middelburg-based serious commercial crime unit and Eskom’s forensic investigators, the trio faces charges of theft, fraud, and money laundering.

It is alleged that Nkosi assisted Angel Frost Investment in submitting fraudulent documents to secure a tender for the supply and delivery of pumps at Arnot power station in 2015, leading to an upfront payment of R14.7 million being made, but the pumps were never delivered.

Another suspect is currently on the run, and the case has been postponed to allow police to find them. Meanwhile, the new Electricity Minister, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has concluded that Eskom’s issues are technical, not corruption-related, following a tour of South Africa’s 14 power stations.

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