NPA confirms Lomas’s UK arrest in Eskom fraud probe

THE NATIONAL Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) Investigating Directorate (ID) has confirmed the arrest of Michael Harry Lomas, a UK citizen and former Eskom contractor, who was detained in London on April 15 and appeared before the Westminster Magistrate's Court last week.

Lomas was granted bail of £100 000 (R1.9 million) and he further submitted additional surety in the sum of £250 000.

The appearance means Lomas's extradition to South Africa has begun in earnest in the UK.

According to ID spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka, the arrest and appearance follows months of talks with the UK authorities about the fraud and corruption case where Eskom paid R745m to Tubular Construction Projects.

She said this exposed the stateowned entity to R1.4 billion as per the escalation of the contract.

“Lomas has been indicted along with four other accused in South Africa who were arrested in December 2019 and are expected back in court on June 1, 2021. Lomas, who was out of the country, has never co-operated with the South African law enforcement to stand trial,” Seboka said.

“The ID brought an extradition application through the UK central authorities to invoke the European Convention on Extradition 1957, the UN Convention against Corruption 2003 to assist in bringing Lomas back to South Africa to account.”

Seboka said, in line with the UK extradition court processes, Lomas needed to appear in the British courts, and only after the matter has been ventilated there will the court decide whether or not to extradite him back to South Africa.

Lomas has been granted bail on the following conditions:

His passport and South African ID to be retained by the police; he is subject to a curfew between midnight and 6pm daily; his curfew conditions to be monitored electronically; he is not to enter or go to any international travel hub, such as ferry port, railway or airport; he is to report to a designated police station at stated times and on stated days; and he is not to apply for international travel documents or be in possession of any.

The head of the ID, advocate Hermione Cronje, said this was a step in the right direction.

‘'Our main focus this year is dealing with corruption in Eskom and Transnet. We will do so with vigour to ensure those implicated account,” Cronje said.

The matter is expected to return to court in the UK on May 20 for case management.