E150 000 PAYMENT TO CB OFFICE AUTOMATION NOT FRAUD - SECRETARY

MBABANE – “Angiliboni licala Nkhosiyenkantolo (I see no crime my Lord).”

This was Mhlatane High School Secretary Queeneth Lukhele’s response to lawyer Bongi Magagula during cross examination yesterday.
Magagula asked Lukhele if, in her opinion, there was any fraud committed by his clients, Comfort Hlophe and his company, CB Office Automation, which supplied the school with stationery among other things.

The school allegedly paid a sum of E150 000 to the company to settle a loan sought by Mhlatane High, to pay to the Examination Council of Swaziland on behalf of the pupils who did not pay on time.
Lukhele told the court that she was aware that the school obtained loans from the company to pay examination fees on behalf of pupils, because some parents failed to meet the deadline for such payments.

She also admitted that when the examination fees were due, the school was usually not in a healthy financial position and it had on many occasions sought outside help.

Lukhele, who mentioned that she was sometimes asked by the then Head teacher, Simeon Makhubu, to fill in cheques, admitted she prepared a voucher of E150 000 to pay CB Office Automation.

“I was returning a loan granted by CB for examination fees,” said Lukhele.
The secretary also admitted that CB Office Automation acknowledged by a formal receipt that they received the E150 000. She said the narration on the receipt reflected that the purpose of the payment was to settle a loan.

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