GOVT TO AUCTION POCA FORFEITED ASSETS

MBABANE – For the first time since POCA became operational, government will sell by public auction assets that were found to have been used as instrumentality for criminal activities or acquired through illegitimate means.

The Prevention of Corruption Act (POCA) was put in place in 2018 and since its inception, the State has seized and subsequently forfeited a number of assets that are believed to have been acquired through criminal activities or used as instrumentality for criminal activities. The Act came into operation on June 6, 2018. The money that will be generated from the sale of the assets will be deposited into the Criminal Assets Recovery Account, established under Section 65 of the POCA, held at the Central Bank of Eswatini (CBE). A majority of those who have been casualties of this Act include those who had been involved in several organised crimes including fraud, armed robberies and drug trafficking, to mention a few.

Outsource

The Assets Recovery Committee, with the assistance of Eswatini Public Procurement Regulatory Agency (ESPPRA) underwent a process to outsource disposal service through public auction.  As per the notice of intention to award that was published, Swazi Auctioneers (Pty) Ltd emerged a successful tenderer for the services. The auctioneers have since published an advert for the disposal of the assets and the auction is scheduled for October 17, 2022 at His Majesty’s Correctional Services (HMCS) in Matsapha. The items that will be sold include but are not limited to trucks, mini trucks, bakkies and sedans.  Some of the assets to be sold belong to an employee of the Office of the Master of the High Court, who was arrested for allegedly stealing an amount of over E900 000 from different estates. The duo is alleged to have also stolen a sum of E682 778.85 belonging to the estate of the late Patrick Bafana Sihlongonyane.

Suspects

The implicated suspects, Thandeka Xondile Maphalala, who is employed at the Office of the Master and Thabani Derrick Sibanyoni who are both out on bail, were fingered as the kingpins in the theft of estate monies. Other items which will go under the hammer were seized from Chinese nationals. A police raid on a large mansion at the high-end Tubungu Estate in Matsapha led to the busting of the Chinese syndicate who dealt in illegal gambling machines. An amount of E205 312.66 in E2 coins, nine slot machines with their various components, 506 mobile phones and five motor vehicles were recovered by the police during the raid. Also to be found in one of the rooms were electronic components which were used for programming the gambling machines. Some of the lottery gambling machines were retrieved from two motor vehicles.

The motor vehicles were reportedly used to run the gambling business by transporting the slot machines to shops, as well as collecting the proceeds received from running the business.
The investigations by the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) came after there was an outcry in Matsapha concerning pupils who were absconding classes to gamble in the nearest shops. The six Chinese nationals who were found inside the mansion claimed to be working for a ‘big boss’ who lived in China. It was discovered that some of them were staying in the Kingdom of Eswatini without valid permits.

Mansion

According to the police, the Chinese nationals, who were found in the mansion are; Jiafei Cheng, Gen Cheing, Chen Shuxiang, Wang Xunnan, Wang Xunjie and Lin Wei. Inside the mansion there were also five emaSwati who, upon been interviewed by the police, indicated that they were employed by the Chinese as drivers. As per Section 42 of POCA 2018, the State obtained an order to seize all the items that were found in possession of the five Chinese nationals, including the money. The motor vehicles which were reportedly used to operate the illegal gambling business are part of the assets that will be sold through public auction. Viewing of the assets, according to an advert that has been issued by the auctioneers, will be on October, 12, 13 and 14, 2022, and for registration a sum of E5 000, which will be refundable, will be required from the interested buyers.  According to the auctioneers, this is the first leg of the disposal and an advert for the sale of immovable and other movables will be published in the coming week.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: