LIVE: Changes at Eskom won't affect #EskomInquiry - chair

Meanwhile, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse wants Anoj Singh to face both criminal charges and civil action to recover "missing funds" at Eskom.

The civil rights body said on Tuesday the former Eskom chief financial officer's resignation on Monday evening should not allow him to avoid being held to account for issues of corporate governance at Eskom'.

Guptas never paid for Dubai trips – Singh

Former Eskom CFO Anoj Singh said that the Gupta family had never paid for his trips to Dubai, and that he had no personal relationship with the family. Responding to a question from Advocate Vanara, Singh said his trip was paid by an acquaintance from the UAE.

He said that he had engaged with a travel agent for his trip and made all of the arrangements. He also said he was not aware if his acquaintance had interests in Gupta-owned Sahara Computers. “I had not inquired of him, and he had not disclosed to me, based on that I will say no,” he said.

Singh also said that he had not gone through the #GuptaLeaks.  Singh said that he made numerous trips to Dubai for both personal and professional reasons. On a professional basis, either Eskom or Transnet would pay, or he would pay, or his acquaintance would pay.

When asked if he had met with the Guptas at the Oberoi hotel, where he stayed, Singh said he did not. “I have been to Dubai a number of occasions and stayed in the Oberoi hotel, on a number of occasions.”

He had no formal meeting with the Guptas at Oberoi but that it is possible that they could have seen each other in passing while staying at the same hotel. “My testimony is that I may (have been) at the hotel at the same time, but it was not my intention to be with Mr Gupta or Mr Chawla.”

Vanara also asked Singh if there was a shelf company in his name in Dubai. To which Singh responded: “There is no company registered in my name globally. The SARB had contacted me, related to my alleged bank accounts and assets and liabilities offshore. I made a declaration that I am not aware of these so-called entities or bank accounts.”

Meanwhile, under-fire Eskom executive Matshela Koko, who is set to appear before the Eskom Inquiry on Wednesday, accused suspended Eskom company secretary and head of legal Suzanne Daniels of spearheading controversial payments to McKinsey and Trillian.

The government announced on Saturday that it wants all Eskom executives who are facing “allegations of corruption”, including Singh and Koko, to be removed immediately.

I do not have a personal relationship with the Gupta family  - Singh 

In his address to parliament’s portfolio committee on public enterprises former Eskom CFO Anoj Singh said that he had information on Trillian and McKinsey but was not going to submit all of it on Tuesday.

Singh explained that the Trillian-McKinsey contract started before he joined Eskom and said it was a programme he “inherited” after joining the power utility.

He had requested an internal audit of the procurement processes and in February 2017 it was concluded to have a termination agreement.

Responding to a question from Advocate Atuthuzelo Vanara, he later spoke on the relations he had with executives at Trillian, McKinsey and the Gupta family. “I have no relationship with the Gupta family - but I have met the Gupta family through business breakfasts and TNA breakfasts… I do not have a personal relationship with the Gupta family.”

Singh said that the Gupta family did not pay for his trip to Dubai, but rather one of his acquaintances from the UAE.

As for Trillian partner Eric Wood, Singh said that he had met Wood when he was a partner at Regiments Capital. “At the time Regiments was a subcontractor of McKinsey and that was the first meeting with Wood.”

As for Vikas Sagar, who was at McKinsey, Singh said that his relationship was also professional.

He said that he had met Gupta business associate Salim Essa, who sought business opportunities “like most other meetings and interactions with individuals”. “It was relatively short and I can’t remember exactly when,” said Singh.

He believed he may have met Essa during his time at Transnet.

Changes at Eskom won't affect inquiry - chair

Despite the events over the past weekend, namely the appointment of a new board at Eskom, the inquiry will still go ahead said chair Daphne Rantho.

As the inquiry resumes on Tuesday afternoon, with former CFO Anoj Singh to testify, Rantho expressed that there was still work to be done to get to the bottom of the mismanagement of funds at the power utility.

"We will still continue doing our oversight in the entities that are at our disposal or part of our portfolio committee.

"We acknowledge the appointment of the new board. We are going to work with the new board. We acknowledge changes at Eskom such as the resignation of Singh but we will still interact with Mr Singh."

Singh is to testify for the work he did at Eskom, she emphasised. "That is exactly the work we want to hear about in the time (he was) at Eskom."

Rantho said the inquiry will leave no stone unturned. Rantho said that the committee has returned from its break, reinvigorated re-energised and will be working with other South Africans who have come forward with information during the December holidays.  

In his opening statement, Singh apologised for the late submission of documents in December. he said his intention was not to "derail" the inquiry. 

Singh to testify, despite resigning the night before

The Eskom Inquiry resumed on Tuesday afternoon, Anoj Singh will present evidence even though he  esigned as CFO the night before.

Eskom announced in a statement on Monday night that the new board had accepted Singh’s resignation.

"Eskom has today received, through Mr Anoj Singh’s attorneys, a formal letter of resignation by Mr Singh from his position as the Chief Financial Officer, in line with the terms of his employment contract.

"The board of Eskom, through the Chairman, has accepted the resignation and communicated the acceptance through Mr Singh’s attorneys. Mr Singh’s resignation is with immediate effect."

Eskom spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe confirmed to Fin24 that Singh would still testify at the inquiry on Tuesday.

The inquiry by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises is investigating the mismanagement of state funds at Eskom.

The inquiry was adjourned in the first week of December 2017, when Singh was initially supposed to testify. However, he failed to submit his documents in time and was criticised by the committee’s chair, Daphne Rantho, for undermining Parliament.

Singh was suspended by the power utility in September 2017, after being placed on special leave at the end of July, Fin24 reported. This came following allegations that he was involved in irregularly awarding contracts to Gupta-linked businesses, and also received gifts and trips from the controversial family.