Cape Town — The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Investigative Directorate (ID) had filed a complaint against the magistrate in the corruption case against former Eskom boss, Matshela Koko.
The ID has asked the Magistrate’s Commission to investigate Stanley Jacobs, the magistrate in Koko’s case, as it believed he had a conflict of interest. This comes after Jacobs had removed Koko’s fraud, corruption and money-laundering case from the roll due to “unreasonable delay”, TimesLIVE reported.
The matter involved corruption in an R2.2 billion tender win by Zabb, a local division of a Swedish-Swiss firm, ABB. It is alleged that Koko played an important role in giving the contract to Impulse International, ABB, and other subcontractors.
The ID said that weeks after Jacobs made his decision, published articles alluded to allegations that Jacobs had dealt with Eskom since 2014.
NEWS: The NPA’s Investigating Directorate (ID) has reported to the Magistrate Commission the Middelburg Magistrate, who in September 2023 struck Matshela Koko and others case off the roll on the basis that there was unreasonable delay in taking the matter to trial.
The ID says… pic.twitter.com/7SEsWe9N2x
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) August 8, 2024
NPA spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, said the ID conducted an investigation and engaged with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and confirmed that there was merit in the allegations against Jacobs over a conflict of interest and the ID referred the matter for further investigations.
“The NPA remains confident in the strength of its case and the expertise of its prosecution team. It will re-enrol the matter shortly,” Mamothame said.
According to The Citizen, the National Director of Public Prosecutes, Shamila Batohi, had asked why the case was removed from the roll and accused Jacobs of making a drastic decision. She said that he could have made several other decisions before making such a drastic one and said it must be questioned.
Koko is among several co-accused including his wife, Mosima, his stepdaughters, Koketso Aren and Thato Choma Ayanda Dlodlo’s former advisor, Thabo Mokwena, attorney Johannes Coetzee, businessman Watson Seswai and former project director at Kusile Power Station, Frans Sithole.
It is alleged that Jacobs had also made contradictory statements about his company and said he didn’t declare his money because BEP African Consulting was dormant. However, he told the Magistrates Commission that he had declared the company.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
