Johannesburg – Eskom was participating in the business rescue process of Tegeta Exploration and Resources where it holds a R5 billion claim against the business rescue practitioner, said Eskom in a statement.
The utility was responding to recent speculation about a R5bn payment it had mistakenly made to a contractor.
Eskom said that they had mistakenly created an impression that during a joint presentation to Parliament’s Appropriation Committee last week when they were questioned by members of Parliament. They made an impression that Eskom had erroneously overpaid an unnamed contractor to the tune of R5bn, and that it was failing to recover the fund. Eskom also created the impression that it was concealing the identity of the contractor.
Andre de Ruyter, the group chief executive, told the committee that based on the available money, it was likely that the utility would receive less than the R5bn.
Eskom was participating in the business rescue proceedings to recover the funds.
Last week, de Ruyter told the committee that Eskom was aware “that we have an obligation to recover monies that were paid incorrectly and unlawfully to various organisations, and we are working closely with the SA Revenue Service, Special Investigation Unit, Hawks, the JSE for those companies that are listed on the stock exchange, and the head of investigations at the office of the National Director of Public Prosecutions”
He added that Eskom was looking to recover some R600million that was unlawfully paid to Trillian, which was in a partnership with McKinsey and Co.
Seven coal suppliers had also been identified, who in the utility’s opinion, were charging too much for the coal that they supplied to Eskom.
