Sentencing put on hold in multi-million rand Duvha Power Station fraud case
Convicted fraud and money-laundering accused linked to contracts awarded at Duvha Power Station will have to wait longer to learn their fate.
The sentencing proceedings of former Eskom buyer Nozipho Ntuli and her co-accused in a R8.5m fraud and money laundering case have been postponed to next year.
Ntuli (39), Edward George Sekatane (46), Thulani Harries Mahlalela (43) and Alfred Lebogang Sekatane (62), along with their companies, were expected to be sentenced in the Middelburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on October 19 following their convictions in August.
The matter stems from a Hawks investigation into the unlawful awarding of Eskom contracts linked to Duvha Power Station between 2016 and 2019. The court previously found Ntuli guilty of fraud, while her co-accused and their corporate entities were convicted of money laundering-related offences under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.
READ MORE: Former Eskom buyer, 3 associates convicted of R8.5m fraud in eMalahleni
Sentencing delayed to 2027
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Monica Nyuswa, the case was postponed to February 1, 2027, for sentencing. The accused were granted an extension of their bail.
“Accused 2, 3 and 6 need pre-sentence reports,” Nyuswa said. The NPA could not confirm which of the accused correspond with accused 2, 3 and 6.
High Court freezes R7.7m in assets
The postponement comes just weeks after the Mpumalanga High Court granted a restraint order valued at R7.7m against assets linked to the convicted parties. The order affects four immovable properties in eMalahleni and Middelburg, as well as eight vehicles, pending possible forfeiture proceedings.
The convictions followed findings that contracts worth R8.5m were awarded to companies linked to Ntuli’s associates without declared conflicts of interest, resulting in a loss of more than R8.5m to Eskom.
The matter will return to court when sentencing is expected to proceed after the required pre-sentence reports have been submitted.
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