Heat turned on Singh in Parliament
FORMER Eskom chief financial officer Anoj Singh has denied wrongdoing in his dealings with the Guptas.
He faced a grilling in the state capture inquiry in Parliament yesterday.
Singh defended his decisions on billions of rand that were allegedly illegally paid to the Guptas. On the eve of his appearance before Parliament, Eskom announced that he had resigned. He was suspended in September last year pending an inquiry.
Yesterday, Eskom spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe announced that its head of group capital, Krish Govender, had also tendered his resignation with immediate effect.
Singh faced tough questions over why Eskom reduced the fine from R2.1 billion to R577 million for a mine, giving the Guptas a guarantee of R1.6bn and signing off on R400m on the Chinese deal.
Despite admitting travelling to Dubai several times, he denied meeting the Guptas there for business purposes. He said he had met Tony Gupta coincidentally at the Oberoi hotel.
Singh also denied that the Guptas paid for his trips despite evidence leader advocate Ntuthuzelo Vanara producing an invoice that Sahara Computers covered his travel costs. He had insisted an associate in the United Arab Emirates had paid for the trips.
Singh also defended the decision of Eskom to reduce the fine of the Optimum mine. The power utility had issued the fine to Glencore before the Guptas bought it, but
after the family purchased the mine it reduced it.
“I was aware of the R2.1bn fine. In terms of my understanding the penalty was subjected to another Treasury process to allow that R577m that was paid,” he said.
“It is my understanding that R2.1bn was not cast in stone,” said Singh.
Singh also defended the decision to give a guarantee of R1.6bn to Tegeta, a Guptaowned company.
This was to allow Tegeta to deliver coal because of an emergency situation. “With R1.6bn there was a settlement of liabilities.
“That is what we alluded to – that the R1.6bn would settle liabilities and the mine is a going concern,” he said.
Singh confirmed there were no minutes or records of this decision, and that it was not approved by the Eskom board. He said the decision fell within Eskom’s treasury division.
Singh also confirmed that the utility did not have a contract with Trillian, but with global consultancy firm McKinsey.
McKinsey was paid R1bn for its work at Eskom and Trillian R500m. Eskom has taken the matter to court and is demanding the money back.
The Asset Forfeiture Unit last week began to attach some of the assets of the companies to recover the R1.5bn, as part of its multiple investigation to recoup billions of rand.