SA angry as Eskom corruption accused Michael Lomas released on R2 million bail

• Corruption accused Michael Lomas has been granted R2 million bail by the Johannesburg High Court on 17 March 2025
• Lomas is facing charges of corruption relating to R1.4 billion worth of contracts to build the Kusile Power Station
• He has remained in custody since his incarceration in September 2024 and has been trying to be released on bail since he was extradited from the United Kingdom

With nine years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a current affairs writer for Briefly News, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.

JOHANNESBURG — South Africans were not impressed when the Johannesburg High Court released corruption accused Michael Lomas on bail for R2 million after spending months behind bars since his arrest in 2024. This was after he was arrested in September 2021 in the United Kingdom.

Why was Lomas given bail?

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Lomas and 11 other suspects have been slapped with 65 corruption counts after they were involved in corruption relating to R1.4 billion worth of contracts that were set aside for the construction of Kusile Power Station in Mpumalanga. He was arrested after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) extradited him from the United Kingdom in September 2024.

The NPA said that Lomas's bail conditions are that he surrender his South African and United Kingdom passports to the investigating officer. He will also be placed in a care home and must not leave Gauteng. The Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) initially opposed his bail application because he was a flight and suicide risk.

What you need to know about Lomas

• Michael Lomas's assets, including his homes and businesses, were seized in May 2021 by the National Prosecuting Authority after an investigation into the corruption was launched
• Months later, in September, the Pretoria High Court granted an order to freeze assets worth R1.4 billion belonging to the suspects involved in the case
• Lomas's bail hearing was postponed to 27 September 2024 after he was successfully extradited from the United Kingdom in September last year

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South Africans disappointed

Netizens were not happy that he was released. They shared their disappointment on IOL's Facebook post.

Charmaine Nezar Coetzee said:

"Every single one of the looters that stripped Eskom must go to jail. The huge impact their looting had on the economy has impacted every business in the country. Economic sabotage is what it is."

Kenneth Childs said:

"They are probably happy to settle for the R2 million bail. They need the money more than the conviction."

Mkatshane Wandilesaid:

"One man was found with money from the other country under his mattress and was never arrested, and the other was found with South African currency and was arrested."

Christian Alliance said:

"All he needs now is a perfect strategy to fake his death. He did well faking sickness. Now he can make himself disappear."

Selwyn Addinall asked:

"Is he hiding the fraud and corruption in his neck?"

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Parliament members welcome SASSA officials' arrests

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Members of Parliament applauded the arrest of 10 South African Social Security Agency officials for corruption. The officials were arrested on 14 March 2025.

The suspects were accused of swindling SASSA out of R265 million in grant fraud. Members of Parlament said the arrest sent a strong message to anyone defrauding the state.

Source: Briefly News