Eskom bribery: Michael Lomas handed suspended sentence after guilty plea

A British businessman, Michael Lomas, has been given a 15‑year prison term wholly suspended for five years after pleading guilty to fraud, theft and corruption in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg.

What the court heard

Lomas, 79, admitted his role in payments tied to work at the Kusile power station. His plea related to the R1.4bn upgrade at Kusile and a reduced scope of work on the air‑cooled condensers at three of the station’s six units.

His plea statement detailed 10 bank deposits totalling R2,249,500 into Absa and Nedbank accounts that were destined for former Eskom manager France Hlakudi. In addition, Lomas acknowledged paying the rent on a Midrand property for two years 24 payments amounting to R396,559.88 which he conceded benefited Hlakudi and another former Eskom manager, Abram Masango.

Sentence, time served and health

The court ratified a plea and sentence agreement and considered that Lomas had already served 10 months in custody after his extradition from the UK. His ill health was also a factor: prosecutors told the court he was living in round‑the‑clock care and that correctional services had nowhere to house a prisoner with his medical needs.

Arrest, extradition and bail history

Lomas was arrested in London in April 2021 and released on bail of £100,000 plus a further £250,000 in surety. He had left South Africa through Namibia in 2018 and was placed on the police’s most wanted list. His extradition was granted in August 2024, and he arrived at OR Tambo International Airport the following month under SAPS Interpol escort, accompanied by a doctor.

The Johannesburg High Court later granted him R2m bail in March 2025 under stringent conditions, including surrendering his UK passport and South African identity document, living at a care home and carrying a smartphone tracked by the investigating officer. He appeared in court in a neck brace and using a walking frame after a cycling accident in the UK.

Related accused and proceedings

Lomas faced 65 counts in the matter alongside co‑accused, including former Eskom managers France Hlakudi and Abram Masango; Tubular Construction Projects chief executive Antonio Trindade; and businessman Maphoko Kgomoeswana of Babinatlou Business Services. The state alleges Hlakudi and Masango each received R30m in gratifications and that Kgomoeswana’s company facilitated the bribes.

The plea process in the case stalled in late July; Andrea Johnson, head of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption, subsequently resigned.

Where the Kusile payments fit

Eskom paid Tubular Construction Projects R745m for the Kusile work at the centre of the alleged payments. Trindade was declared unfit to stand trial by Sterkfontein Hospital.

The court’s decision leaves Lomas free of further imprisonment while the suspended term remains in force for the five‑year period set by the judge.