In findings published last week, OUTA links the 2015 corruption, fraud and money laundering case involving the then former Eskom Executive for Technology and Commercial, Matshela Koko and business man, Thabo Mokwena to the energy sector, the ANC and the State Security Agency.
The case in the Middleburg regional court is postponed to September. Using the NPA charge sheet as one of its sources, OUTA put the magnifying glass on Mokwena and the politically influential network surrounding him.
Mokwena is currently deputy chair of the presidential task team overseeing the reorganisation of the State Security Agency and is connected to ANC’s investment vehicle Chancellor House Mokwena was approached by Swiss company Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) in 2014 to join as a BEE partner to secure Kusile’s control and instrumentation (C&I) contract. The introduction was facilitated by Koko.
Mokwena’s company, Leago EPC, was hired as a subcontractor for R96,1million – 10% of which was allegedly to be paid to Koko as a bribe. ABB also hired another company of Mokwena’s for a 12 months contract for five engineers at a R5.8million fee. Mokwena allegedly failed to make the bribe payments to Koko – leading to a break down in their relationship, which ABB failing to mediate it.
OUTA’s research shows that Mokwena has occupied various other government-related positions serving as a trustee on the board of the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF), an advisor to then Minister of State Security Ayanda Dlodlo; a board member of state-owned entities PetroSA, the South African Rail Commuter Corporation (now Prasa) and the Electricity Distribution Industry.