Eskom has placed its senior general manager of assurance and forensics‚ Molefi Nkhabu‚ on a precautionary suspension pending an investigation.

In a statement on Thursday afternoon‚ the utility said it would look into circumstances surrounding internal audit investigation reports relating to transactions that Nkhabu‚ the chief audit executive‚ signed off.

The reports contain inferences or conclusions that effectively exonerated certain previous Eskom executives implicated in maladministration‚ the statement said.

At its annual results presentation in July‚ Eskom announced it had found R19.6bn in irregular expenditure when it looked back on its books over the past six years

Nkhabu’s is the latest in a string of Eskom executive suspensions this year‚ including former CFO Anoj Singh and former head of generation Matshela Koko‚ who eventually resigned from the utility.

“The Eskom executive management‚ whilst espousing the principle of the presumption of innocence‚ due to the seniority of Mr Nkhabu and the seriousness of the allegations made against him‚ took a decision that it would be better for him to be suspended until the investigation is finalised‚” Eskom’s statement read.