The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Investigating Directorate (ID) has succeeded in its efforts to win permission to extradite UK fugitive Michael Lomas after the justice department and UK-based lawyers made a successful argument.
For two years the ID has been fighting to get Lomas back to South Africa to stand trial in connection with the R745m Eskom Kusile fraud and corruption case.
ID director advocate Andrea Johnson said: “The legal process has been lengthy, and we are pleased with the judgment.”
Sindisiwe Seboka, spokesperson for the ID, said Lomas was arrested in London in April last year and granted hefty bail of £100,000 (R1.7m at the time). He submitted an additional surety of £250,000 (about R4.3m).
She said his arrest came after months of talks with the UK authorities about the fraud and corruption case in which Eskom paid R745m to Tubular Construction Projects, exposing it to R1.4bn costs as the contract escalated.
NPA gets green light to extradite R754m Eskom fugitive from UK
Michael Lomas has 7 days to appeal or his extradition stands
Image: Waldo Swiegers/Sunday Times
The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Investigating Directorate (ID) has succeeded in its efforts to win permission to extradite UK fugitive Michael Lomas after the justice department and UK-based lawyers made a successful argument.
For two years the ID has been fighting to get Lomas back to South Africa to stand trial in connection with the R745m Eskom Kusile fraud and corruption case.
ID director advocate Andrea Johnson said: “The legal process has been lengthy, and we are pleased with the judgment.”
Sindisiwe Seboka, spokesperson for the ID, said Lomas was arrested in London in April last year and granted hefty bail of £100,000 (R1.7m at the time). He submitted an additional surety of £250,000 (about R4.3m).
She said his arrest came after months of talks with the UK authorities about the fraud and corruption case in which Eskom paid R745m to Tubular Construction Projects, exposing it to R1.4bn costs as the contract escalated.
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Lomas has been indicted along with four other accused in South Africa who are due to appear in the Palm Ridge specialised commercial crimes court on April 5 next year in relation to the case. Lomas was out of the country when his co-accused were arrested and allegedly failed to cooperate with law enforcement to stand trial.
Seboka said this prompted the ID to apply for his extradition through the UK central authorities to invoke the European Convention on Extradition and the UN Convention against Corruption for assistance to bring Lomas back to South Africa.
On Thursday the Westminster magistrate’s court based in London issued a judgment ordering that Lomas’ extradition is to be sent to the UK secretary of state.
Seboka said Lomas has seven days to appeal or the extradition stands.
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