President Cyril Ramaphosa has commended the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for getting an over R2,5 billion settlement from the Swiss engineering company ABB.
The case relates to bribes paid to obtain contracts from Eskom between 2014 and 2017.
ABB was found guilty of improper payments and other compliance issues at the Kusile power station.
This after the NPA concluded its wide-scale investigation into state corruption in June 2022.
In his weekly newsletter, President Cyril Ramaphosa has sought to highlight the gains made in fighting state capture.
The President has hailed the settlement reached and warned that those who have benefited from ill-begotten gains, will face the might of the law. Ramaphosa also says the arrest of former executives of State Owned Enterprises are illustrations that the fight against corruption is gaining momentum.
Ramaphosa says this at a time when he, himself, faces the heat over his Phala Phala farm.
He, however, implores South Africa to give law enforcement agencies support and ensure that the gains made in fighting corruption are not reversed.
‘Biggest recovery of funds lost to corruption’
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola has described the Special Investigating Unit (SIU)’s recovery of money from a contract that Eskom had awarded irregularly as the unit’s biggest recovery of funds lost to corruption and maladministration.
The unit worked with the Hawks and the FBI in the US in its investigations that found the contract awarded to the South African branch of Swiss robotics firm ABB had been irregularly awarded.
Lamola welcomes the recovery, “It sends a very clear message to the people of our country about the commitment of the government to assist the SIU and all other law enforcement agencies because we view as government that corruption and maladministration are inconsistent with the rule of law and the fundamental values of our Constitution. We have to ensure that whoever is responsible for all the malfeasance has to be brought to book and must account and all monies went through malfeasance from either Eskom, Transnet or any state parastatal or any government department is recovered.”
