By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Eskom has announced that a suspect linked to a bomb threat directed at the company’s chief operating officer Jan Oberholzer, has been arrested.
The arrest follows a threat being made earlier this year in May from an unknown cellphone number.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Eskom said that on hearing of the threat, its internal security investigations team had preferred charges with the police for investigation. It was also established that the suspect had used an unregistered sim card to send the message.
On Friday morning, the Hawks and contracted investigators from Bidvest Protea Coin traced and arrested a 27-year-old male suspect. There was overwhelming evidence linking him to the crime. The suspect was arrested by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Vosman area at eMalahleni, Mpumalanga. He remains in custody ahead of his court appearance next week.
The general manager of security at Eskom advocate Karen Pillay said that other Eskom executives had also been targeted in recent months.
“The targeting of Eskom executives and employees who are focused and hard at work during these difficult times is very disturbing. Such acts of criminality are malicious, and Eskom takes them seriously. The nature and level of threats, therefore, demand that they focus on their personal safety and that of their families instead, distracting them from the critical task their jobs demand of them.”
Eskom said it would provide the necessary support to the SAPS to help ensure the suspect is successfully prosecuted and that a stiff sanction is meted out to deter other would-be offenders.
Criminal elements have grabbed hold of South Africa’s state-owned entities, with Eskom being no different.
Last month, the utility also approached the Hawks to investigate several high-profile incidents – including the theft of coal, diesel, cables, bomb threats, fraud and corruption, sabotage and a wide array of other issues.