Councillor's corruption charge sheet disappears'

NHLANGANO – There was confusion at the Nhlangano Magistrate’s Court as a charge sheet for a councillor who is facing corruption charges went missing.

Principal Magistrate Nondumiso Simelane had to adjourn court for 45 minutes as a female court interpreter searched for the missing file.
Dumisani Sibandze is a councillor in Ward Two and faces corruption related charges.
He is charged with allegedly demanding an advantage from one Sipho Shongwe, a Director of Swaziland Livestock Technical Services PTY (LTD), so as to lobby other councillors to award Tender No.4 of 2008 and 2009 to the said Swaziland Livestock Technical Services PTY (LTD. In the process, he is said to have contravened the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Crown witnesses, members of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Nhlangano Town Councillors had to wait outside as efforts were made by the interpreter to find the charge sheet.
After the 45 minute break, the charge sheet was not found but the court used documents belonging to Prosecutor Phila Dlamini.

 The principal magistrate apologised for the confusion and delay regarding the trial and explained that the file could have been misplaced somewhere during filing. Just when submissions were about to be made, an orderly came with the charge sheet.

Also present was Nhlangano Mayor and the former Town Clerk Sithembile Simelane who are expected to testify in the case.
A member from the Anti Corruption Commission registered his dissatisfaction with regards to the postponement of the case.
The matter will resume on April 20, 2010.

...lawyer withdraws from case

NHLANGANO  - Lawyer Thulani Dlamini from Piliso Simelane and Partners yesterday announced that he was withdrawing from the case.

Dlamini did not state the reasons. Principal Magistrate Nondumiso Simelane asked the accused if he was aware that his attorney was withdrawing to which he responded to the affirmative.
He said he had secured legal services of lawyer Kenneth Simelane from Sigwane and Partners.

Simelane (Kenneth) applied that the matter be postponed to a later date. Prosecutor Phila Dlamini opposed the suggestion on grounds that the accused’s lawyer did not forward reasons for the postponement.

The prosecutor said witnesses had come to testify in the matter from as far as Siteki and wanted to know who would compensate them considering the fact they were self employed.

“My witnesses come from as a far as Siteki and Manzini and it is the taxpayer who suffers most in terms of footing the bill,” said Dlamini. The principal magistrate promised not to postpone the matter again.
 

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