Eskom has announced that it will be taking action to recover close to R1.6 billion from the Gupta-linked Trillian and global consultancy, McKinsey.<\/p>\n
In a statement issued late on Thursday, the power utility said that it has sought co-operation from the groups to get them to return R1 billion and R564 million which “appears” to have been paid out unlawfully in 2016 and 2017.<\/p>\n
“The interim findings from the Eskom investigations, into the circumstances surrounding payments made to both the companies, point to certain decisions by Eskom, and resultant payments, as being unlawful,” the group said.<\/p>\n
Eskom said it was obliged by the Public Finance Management Act (PMFA) and Companies Act to seek to set aside the unlawful decisions and have the money returned.<\/p>\n
“Being such a critical entity, which is inextricably tied to the nation’s economy, it is in the public interest to do everything we can as Eskom to claw back all the fees that were unlawfully paid, while expediting the disciplinary processes currently underway.”<\/p>\n
This week, more Eskom executives were suspended for their involvement in paying a Gupta-linked company, Trillian, millions for contracts, and for moving ahead with contracts with consultancy, McKinsey, despite internal and external warnings not to do so.<\/p>\n
Trillian has been accused of being a front company for McKinsey to secure contracts worth billions of rands from Eskom and Trasnet, as well as receiving millions for little to no work done on contracts.<\/p>\n
Former Trillian CEO, Bianca Goodson blew the whistle on the company\u2019s relationship with Eskom and McKinsey in an explosive submission on the Platform for the Protection of Whistle-blowers in Africa (Pplaaf), made public at the end of September.<\/p>\n
Trillian has denied the allegations made by Goodson.<\/p>\n