Lomas ‘feeling fresh after cold shower this morning’ as he remains in prison

Michael Lomas says he has embraced the cold showers in the prison facility where he is being held as they help keep him fresh.  

The former Eskom contractor appeared briefly in the Johannesburg specialised commercial crimes court, sitting in Palm Ridge, on Friday. 

Lomas was extradited to South Africa from the UK in connection with the alleged Eskom Kusile power station corruption matter.

His bail application was postponed to October 28 for the disclosure of the case docket by the state to the defence. It also had to be delayed as Lomas had to undergo medical tests, including MRA scans, at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

A frail Lomas arrived at court using a walker with his neck in a brace. “I am feeling fresh after a cold shower this morning [Friday],” he told journalists outside the court. 

His legal representative advocate Mannie Witz told the court his client has not complained about the conditions in prison. He said the state was accommodating since his arrival in South Africa last Friday.

“He has been kept in prison. He accepts the cold shower, he said it makes him fresh,” he said.

Witz said his client has been assisted since his arrival to ensure that he gets his medication and would remain in custody. The nurse at the prison had been giving him his medication.

His instructing attorney Zaheer O'Brien said his health was of concern but he believes he has been properly looked after by the medical staff and the correctional services department. 

“Today [Friday] was a postponement. We need to consult properly on the matter and have an opportunity to consider the disclosure. It's more than a terabyte [of files] which we are arranging to obtain from the state,” he said.

Lomas faces 65 charges in connection with fraud and corruption in which Eskom paid R745m to Tubular Construction Projects. This exposed the state-owned entity to R1.4bn as per the escalation of the contract.

The former Tubular Holdings executive adviser was arrested in 2021 and granted bail of £100,000 (R2.3m) and submitted additional surety of £250,000 (R5.8m).

Lomas has been indicted with former Eskom executives Abram Masango and Frans Hlakudi, as well as businessman Maphoko Kgomoeswana and CEO of Tubular Construction Antonio Trindade.

Masango and Hlakudi are accused of receiving undue gratification of R30m each from the contractors, Trindade and Lomas. Kgomoeswana and his company, Babinatlou Business Services CC, are accused of facilitating the alleged bribes on behalf of the contractors to senior bosses.

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