Times Of Swaziland: SIBUSISO SHONGWE, SANDLANE  ARRESTED FOR CORRUPTION

SIBUSISO SHONGWE, SANDLANE  ARRESTED FOR CORRUPTION
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BY MBONGISENI NDZIMANDZE  on 20/08/2015 02:54:00


MBABANE – Barely six weeks after he was released from custody, Senator
Sibusiso Shongwe found himself back in jail.
The former Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs was arrested yesterday
morning with former MP and member of the Border Restoration Committee (BRC)
Sandlane Zwane on charges of corruption and extortion.
They were round up by Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) investigators yesterday
morning while at the respective places of abode.
The two churchmates are alleged to have demanded payment of E600 000 from
businessman Jose Emidio Rodrigues.
The dismissed minister is a pastor at Calvary Worship Centre while Zwane is one
of his congregants.
Shongwe is alleged to have committed the offence while he was still a Cabinet
minister.
According to the charge sheet, Zwane, who has been described as a businessman,
is a close ally to Shongwe. It is alleged that during the period of
October/November 2014, Zwane approached Rodrigrues, who is an accused with
others in High Court case 242/2013, and advised him that he (Rodrigues) was
facing very serious charges and that a judge had already been allocated to deal
with the matter.
Zwane was referring to the case where the businessman was arrested with others
in connection with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) fraud case.
He is said to have informed Rodrigues that a judgment was already made and they
(Rodrigues and his co-accused) were going to be convicted and sentenced to
various custodial sentences. “All these unlawful, dishonest and unauthorised
presentations were and could never be true.  They were made for the sole purpose
to instil fear on and extort advantages/money from Rodrigues,” reads part of
the charge sheet.