Minister blocked suspension of Koko, MPs told

Lynne Brown intervened to stop the suspension of former Eskom head of generation Matshela Koko when she was public enterprises minister, suspended head of group capital Abram Masango has told MPs.

Koko has been implicated in the capture of the utility. The Eskom board had decided to suspend him in March 2017, the parliamentary inquiry into state capture was told by Masango.

However, this decision was revoked after the “sudden intervention” by Brown, Masango told members of the public enterprises committee, which is conducting the inquiry.

“There was no reason why the minister should have intervened to protect Mr Koko, particularly given the serious allegations against him,” he said.

“I don’t believe that the minister did not understand what was going on. The informal communication was reaching the minister. This is one of the reasons that pained me — and at one stage I wanted to resign — because where do you report if the system is like this?”

Masango also said Koko had summoned him to a meeting in March 2015 at Melrose Arch with Gupta associate Salim Essa. At that meeting Masango — who was required to remove his cellphone — was told that four Eskom executives, including Koko, would be suspended but that Koko would be the only executive who would resume his employment. No reasons were given.

Masango was suspended in November on allegations of “serious misconduct” related to undeclared conflict of interest and “generally corrupt conduct”. He has denied the “vague and unsubstantiated” allegations.

Masango was responsible for a whistle-blower’s report related to maladministration and corruption at Eskom, which included mismanagement and abuse of power by Koko.