Kusile Power Station fraud case: Kempton Park business owner becomes 18th accused

Another arrest has been affected in the fraud case relating to the construction of the Kusile Power Station in Mpumalanga.

Suspect 18 in the R2.2b fraud scheme was earlier today granted R100 000 bail by regional magistrate Deon van Rooyen.

Lese’tsa Johannes Mutchinya, who was arrested in Gauteng this morning, is alleged to have laundered R3.1m through his companies in a kickback for contracts.

He is listed as the director of 19 companies, with two alleged to have received three payments of R1m.

Another payment of R200 000 from entities tied to former Eskom boss Matshela Koko and his family was also allegedly received by Mutchinya.

It is said that payments were then made from Mutchinya’s accounts to accused number two Frans Sithole.

All of Mutchinya’s companies are registered to a Kempton Park address, and Mutchinya is the latest suspect added to a growing list of 18 so far.

He will appear in court again on September 4 alongside Koko, Sithole, Koko’s wife Mosima, his stepdaughters Koketso Aren and Thato Choma, Gopal Kambi, Thabo Mokwena, local attorney Chris Coetzee, Watson Seswai, Markus Bruegmann and companies: Sunil VIP, Impulse International, Turnkey Finishings, Dominion Capital, Leago EPC, Lego Consolidated, Firm Strategy and Throne Concepts.

Mutchinya’s two companies will be added to the charge sheet in September.

Bail conditions

All of the accused are out on bail.

Mutchinya must report to the Soshanguve Police Station twice a week as part of his bail conditions.

He is not allowed to contact any state witnesses and has been ordered to surrender all travel documents ahead of his trial.

Investigations revealed that ABB, the Swiss engineering firm working on Kusile, subcontracted Impulse International, a company owned by former Eskom group CEO Matshela’s stepdaughter, Choma, and other companies.

Matshela allegedly played a vital role in the awarding of contracts to Impulse International, ABB and other sub-contractors as Eskom Group CEO.

Contracts were awarded to Impulse with Koko’s stepdaughter listed as a director. She later started her directorship in Impulse and opened Mokoni Trust.

Monies were then allegedly paid into the trust by Impulse and allegedly channeled to businesses and various shell corporations linked to the Koko family.