Matshela Koko accuses Zondo commission of ’Koko hunt’

Former Eskom CEO Matshela Koko is appearing at the Zondo commission. Screengrab: SABC/YouTube

Former Eskom CEO Matshela Koko is appearing at the Zondo commission. Screengrab: SABC/YouTube

Published May 19, 2021

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Johannesburg - Former Eskom CEO Matshela Koko has accused the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture of coaching witnesses to present answers that fuel the “Koko hunt”.

Koko is currently testifying at the State Capture Commission in Johannesburg on Eskom related evidence.

Koko was responding to Tuesday's testimony from two travel agents who told the commission that his international travel was billed to the account of Gupta associate Salim Essa.

Travel agents Sameera Sooliman and Halima Allana of Lenasia-based company Travel Excellence presented evidence at the commission.

The travel agents said that not only did Essa instruct Sooliman and Allana to arrange flights for Koko and his family to travel from Indonesia to Dubai and South Africa, but he also paid R100 000 to settle the bill.

Allana told the commission that if Koko had paid for his trip, she would have received the money but instead, she billed those costs to Essa's account.

Koko recently told the commission that he paid for all the flights and visas for him and his family to travel from Indonesia to Dubai and South Africa.

On Wednesday, he told Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo that the commission were planning attacks on him.

“I constantly told you that your legal team, your investigators are coaching these witnesses to present evidence it wants to paint in the Koko hunt,” Koko said.

He told Zondo that he was “not in a good mood today”.

Previously, he also accused the commission’s investigators and legal team of treating other witnesses better.

He accused the commission’s legal team and investigators of following up swiftly on evidence against him while his own evidence had been sidelined.

The Inquiry continues.

kailene.pillay@inl.co.za

Political Bureau