Johannesburg - A sharp-tongued Matšhela Koko appeared at the State Capture Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday and again accused it of not only fuelling a “Koko hunt”, but also coaching witnesses to follow suit.
The former Eskom chief executive also accused commission chairperson Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo of having witnesses that he favoured and protected.
He also added that Zondo “had the wrong person sitting here” (referring to himself), and those who played a role in capturing the state never appeared before him.
Responding to previous testimony by two travel agents - that his international travel was billed to the account of Gupta associate Salim Essa - the engineer said these travel agents were coached into saying that.
Travel agents Sameera Sooliman and Halima Allana of Lenasia-based company Travel Excellence presented evidence at the Commission on Tuesday.
The travel agents said 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, who appeared moody, told Zondo that he was "not in a good mood today".
"I constantly told you [DCJ Zondo] that your legal team, your investigators are coaching these witnesses to present evidence they want to paint in the Koko hunt," he said.
Later in his evidence, Koko told the commission that Eskom was willing to pay more for coal, but when Optimum Coal Mine was informed, it ‘kicked them in their face’.
Koko explained that Optimum initially wanted to increase prices to R285 per ton for coal, but the Eskom board had already approved a price increase of up to R296 a ton.
He said Optimum Coal Mine then demanded a higher price and, when it was rejected, it filed for business rescue.
Koko said that Optimum Coal Mine already owed R2 billion in penalties for numerous late deliveries and other transgressions.
“They [Optimum Coal Mine] acted in bad faith,” Koko said.
Political Bureau