Mbabane: Hosea MP Bacede Mabuza has been arrested by the Manzini Police for allegedly assisting in forging a Tax Clearance Certificate for his brother, Sifiso Mabuza, who is also a senate hopeful to replace the late Mike Temple.
The police are reported to have pounced on the legislator at his home at Coates Valley in Manzini this morning and bundled him into the police van.
Reports are to the effect that there’s now a warrant of arrest for Sifiso Mabuza for false declarations on Parliament declaration and Income Tax form.
Speaker in the House of Assembly, Petros Mavimbela, said he heard but vaguely that one of the MPs had been arrested but didn’t have further details. He promised to get back to this reporter after obtaining all the facts. “I have just come from a meeting and while there I heard someone talk about an MP that has been taken in by the police,” said the Speaker.
Reached for comment Chief Police Information and Communications Officer (PICO), Superintended Phindile Vilakati asked to get back to Independent News after midday.
A Tax Clearance is confirmation from Revenue that an applicant’s tax affairs are in order. Revenue may issue a Tax Clearance Certificate to a customer who has tax arrears where the arrears are covered by an instalment arrangement.
Harassment
Last week senate hopeful Sifiso Mabuza who is brother to arrested Hosea MP, Bacede Mabuza, stated that he had allegedly been harassed by the police who went through some of his properties, all in respect of the vetting process for the position of a senator, which was left vacant by the late Mike Temple.
Police officers from Mbabane came to Mabuza’s 31 flats at Mvutjini and 16 at Ebuka, respectively. The senate hopeful is reported to have said he felt harassed because he had gone through all the required processes in line with Section 96 of the Constitution which includes getting a police clearance, paying his taxes and producing his voter registration card. Mabuza’s wife, pastors, former teachers were also questioned by the police. They proceeded to count the number of flats and further took photographs of the compound.
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