A coal truck driver and two weighbridge clerks appeared in the Middelburg magistrate’s court on Friday after being arrested for alleged fraud and coal theft.
Eskom said the arrests on Thursday were as a result of information received on August 25 about a truck which was loaded with 34,900kg of coal at New Clydesdale Colliery 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 organised 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,” Eskom said.
When questioned, the truck driver, who is a foreign national, informed the investigation team that he delivered the coal to Majuba power station. He 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 August 25. It was also ascertained that a fraudulent weighbridge ticket was created by the weighbridge clerks for coal that was ordered but never received.”
The driver and the clerks were arrested and detained at the Blinkpan police station on Thursday.
They were each granted R2,000 bail and will appear in court again on October 6 . More arrests are expected to follow as investigations continue.
“Arrests like these demonstrate Eskom’s resolve to work together with the law enforcement agencies to bring the perpetrators to book”, Botse Sikhwitshi, acting general manager for security at Eskom said.
TimesLIVE
Coal truck driver, clerks arrested for theft of coal, fraud
Image: Ziphozonke Lushaba
A coal truck driver and two weighbridge clerks appeared in the Middelburg magistrate’s court on Friday after being arrested for alleged fraud and coal theft.
Eskom said the arrests on Thursday were as a result of information received on August 25 about a truck which was loaded with 34,900kg of coal at New Clydesdale Colliery 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 organised 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,” Eskom said.
When questioned, the truck driver, who is a foreign national, informed the investigation team that he delivered the coal to Majuba power station. He 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 August 25. It was also ascertained that a fraudulent weighbridge ticket was created by the weighbridge clerks for coal that was ordered but never received.”
The driver and the clerks were arrested and detained at the Blinkpan police station on Thursday.
They were each granted R2,000 bail and will appear in court again on October 6 . More arrests are expected to follow as investigations continue.
“Arrests like these demonstrate Eskom’s resolve to work together with the law enforcement agencies to bring the perpetrators to book”, Botse Sikhwitshi, acting general manager for security at Eskom said.
TimesLIVE
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