JOHANNESBURG - Eskom contractor Michael Lomas has been handed a suspended sentence.
He pleaded guilty to corruption linked to R1.4 billion meant for upgrades at Kusile Power Station.
He appeared before the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Thursday.
Lomas was convicted on 34 charges of corruption relating to payments made between February 2015 and April 2017, amounting to over R2.6 million from his personal account into a company owned by another co-accused in the matter.
The charges also relate to 24 rental payments for an apartment in Midrand, totaling over R396,000, which benefited two former senior Eskom employees.
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According to IDAC spokesperson Henry Mamothame, Lomas was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment, which will be suspended for a period of 5 years.
A condition of the suspended sentence is for Lomas not to be convicted of fraud, theft or the contravention of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (PRECCA) in that period.
Additionally, as part of the plea agreement, Mamothame said Lomas must provide the State with evidence against some of the accused in the main case.
In imposing the sentence, Mamothame said the court needed to consider his age, health, his remorse for participating in criminal acts, the aggravating circumstances of the case, the mitigating circumstances of the case, as well as the interests of the complainant, Eskom Holdings.
“The NPA’s Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) has rejected the proposed confiscation of R6m against the value of his assets, as it views the amount as not being reflective of the proportions of the money that was lost to the state through his criminal acts. Further engagements between AFU and Lomas’ attorneys are underway in an attempt to reach a settlement,” Mamothame said,
Co-accused in the case, Hudson Kgomoeswana, also pleaded guilty to one count of corruption in contravention of PRECCA, 18 counts of money laundering, and 15 counts of contravention of the Tax Act.
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The charges, according to Mamothame, relate to payments of over R6 million allegedly paid to a former Eskom senior employee as gratification from Tubular Group of companies, through Babinatlou Business Services, owned by Kgomoeswana.
Kgomoeswana is said to have retained the amount of R757 000 for making available his accounts to facilitate corrupt payments.
Kgomoeswana was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment on corruption and money laundering charges, with 10 years suspended, provided he doesn’t commit similar offences during the suspension period.
He was also sentenced to five years on the charges of contravention of the Tax Act.
This sentence is expected to run concurrently with the five-year sentence.
Mamothame said Kgomoeswana has agreed to have his assets valued at over R2.4 million to be confiscated and has provided the state with evidence on his participation in the commission of the offence.
The National Director of Public Prosecutions, Andy Mothibi, has welcomed the sentence.
Meanwhile, the case against the remaining accused, Frans Hlakudi and Abram Masango, is expected back in court on 7 August 2026 for trial.