BUSINESSMAN, 4 OTHERS CHARGED FOR NMC FRAUD

MANZINI – A prominent Manzini businessman and four others have been arrested and slapped with 25 fraud and money laundering charges for allegedly having defrauded the National Maize Corporation (NMC) of over E1 million.

Nkosingiphile Dlamini (38) of Mafutseni, who is son to well-known Manzini businessman Matututu, was arrested together with his crew on Tuesday by the Matsapha police under the Fraud Unit.

His co accused are Thokozani Macu (46) of Makhondza, Sibusiso Maphosa (36) of Ngwane Park, Siphila Gamedze (51) of Fair View and Zakhele Mhlanga (39) of Coates Valley.

Crimes

The accused are said to have allegedly defrauded the NMC maize worth E1 015 740. They are said to have committed the crimes between the months of April and June 2014.    
Information gathered is that the accused allegedly defrauded the company the maize and sold it at a cheaper price to people in places like KaBhudla and Sidvokodvo, thus they were charged with money laundering.

The accused are said to have allegedly counterfeited bank slips to defraud the company. In one instance, it was alleged that the accused acted individually or jointly in furtherance of a common purpose and defrauded the NMC 396 bags (70kg) of maize worth E95 040 after they allegedly produced a bank deposit slip of E96 000 to purchase 400 bags (70kg) of maize yet the actual amount they paid in the bank was E960 for only four bags.

 Information gathered is that the accused again allegedly sold the 396 bags for only E53 256 yet they ought to have reasonably known that the property was worth E95 040.

Deposited

According to the charge sheet, the accused are said to have allegedly deposited only a fraction of the actual amount of their intended purchase with the company.
From their alleged transactions, the suspects are alleged to have added digits on the receipt they would thereafter present  to the NMC.
In another charge, the suspects are alleged to have defrauded the NMC 297 bags (70kg) of maize valued at E71 280 by depositing E720 at SwaziBank to purchase three bags from the company and allegedly produced a E72 000 bank slip for 300 bags.

They are also alleged to have deposited E960 at SwaziBank to purchase four bags (70kg) of maize at NMC but allegedly produced a E960 000 bank slip to obtain E404 bags, thus defrauding the company 400 bags worth E95 040.
The alleged fraud was committed in a period of two months.

The suspects, according to the charge sheet, were also selling the maize at hugely discounted prices at KaBhudla and Sidvokodvo.
The accused appeared before Principal Magistrate David Khumalo yesterday where they were slapped with the 25 counts.
Before the charge sheet could even be read to them, the Crown asked the court that the accused should be remanded in custody until July 30, 2014.

Dlamini, who was represented by Leo Gama applied for bail at the High Court of Swaziland before Judge Mbutfo Mamba and appearing for the Crown was Senior Crown Counsel Brian Nxumalo.

Mitigation

In mitigation, Dlamini said he was a married man and had a 13-year-old child to take care of. He said he had a house at Fair View North and that he was suffering from high blood pressure and had a chest problem.
He was granted E15 000 bail and was supposed to pay E5 000 cash and E10 000 as surety.

The bail conditions were that he should report to the police every fortnight, should not interfere with State witnesses, should surrender his travelling document to the police and avail himself in court whenever asked to do so.

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