A coal truck driver and two (2) weighbridge clerks arrested for fraud and theft of coal.
Friday, 22 September 2023: On 21 September 2023, a coal truck driver and two (2) weighbridge clerks were arrested for fraud and theft of coal.
The arrests were as a result of information that was received on Friday 25 August 2023 about a truck which was loaded with 34 900kg of coal at New Clydesdale Colliery (NCC) destined to be delivered at the Majuba Power Station. The truck diverted from its route to an illegal coal yard next to the R35 Middelburg Bethal Road, where the driver offloaded the coal.
An investigation team consisting of members of the Middelburg Organized Crime Unit and Eskom Security acted on the information received. The truck which was located close to the coal yard was suspected of having received the stolen coal.
On being questioned, the driver, who is a foreign national, informed the investigation team that he indeed delivered the coal to Majuba Power Station. He further produced a weighbridge ticket purported to have been issued at the Majuba Power Station weighbridge confirming the delivery. Further investigations confirmed that the truck had never entered Majuba Power Station on 25 August 2023. It was also ascertained that a fraudulent weighbridge ticket was created by the weighbridge clerks for coal that was ordered but never received.
On Thursday, 21 September 2023, both the driver and the weighbridge clerks were arrested and detained at the Blinkpan Police Station. The suspects have subsequently been charged and brought before the Middelburg Court as per Blinkpan CAS: 46/08/2023. Each of the accused has been granted R2 000.00 bail and will appear in court again on 06 October 2023. More arrests are expected to follow as the investigations continue.
“Arrests like these demonstrates Eskom’s resolve to work together with the law enforcement agencies to bring the perpetrators to book”, said Botse Sikhwitshi, Acting General Manager for Security at Eskom.
“The arrests are the result of persistent and excellent work by Eskom security team, in partnership with the South African Police Service, who are working tirelessly to identify and disrupt the criminal networks” added Sikhwitshi.
Eskom urges the public to report information regarding fraud, the theft of coal, fuel oil, diesel and other crimes to the Eskom Crime Line: 0800 11 27 22.
ENDS
