Manzini – Two more men accused of using the name of Their Majesties to defraud members of the public of more than E1 million have been arrested and appeared before the Manzini Magistrate’s Court, according to a report by the Eswatini Observer.
Emmanuel Thulane Mhlanga aged 51 from Ngculwini and Nhlanhla Lucky Dlamini aged 39 from Moneni appeared before Principal Magistrate David Khumalo on Tuesday where they were charged with multiple fraud related offences.
According to the Eswatini Observer report, the accused are facing 18 counts including theft by false pretences contraventions of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act of 2018 the Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Prevention Act of 2011 and the Computer Crime and Cybercrime Act No 6 of 2022.
Court papers state that Mhlanga allegedly misrepresented to Sabelo Siyabonga Maziya that land was being sold by the Royal Household. Acting on this claim Maziya allegedly paid E57 000 to Mhlanga. The charge sheet states that the accused knew no such land was on sale and intentionally caused the complainant to suffer financial loss.
The Eswatini Observer further reported that in another count Dlamini is accused of falsely presenting himself to former Senator Ndileka Dlamini as someone assigned by His Majesty King Mswati III to summon her regarding a job opportunity linked to supporting orphans. Through this alleged deception he is said to have obtained E22 806.94 from the complainant while knowing he had not been assigned by anyone.
Mhlanga is further accused of deceiving Thodzile Mkhabela by claiming she had been tasked with welcoming royal visitors at King Mswati III International Airport. Through this alleged misrepresentation he is said to have obtained E36 926.26 from the complainant while knowing no such royal assignment existed.
The court also heard that the accused allegedly promised non existent tenders to several victims. One of the complainants Gibson Dlamini was allegedly led to believe he had been awarded a catering tender to supply food to Mpaka Railway employees. Through this claim the accused are said to have obtained E515 596 from him despite knowing no such tender existed.
In another charge Lokucala Khumalo is alleged to have been defrauded of E318 000 after Mhlanga reportedly promised her a tender to construct staff residential flats at Phuzumoya Oil Reserves. The prosecution told the court that there were no tender documents in existence at the time.
According to the Eswatini Observer, during proceedings the accused raised allegations of torture during police investigations. Through their lawyer Mathokoza Mbhamali and Machawe Dlamini the duo claimed police officers assaulted them with sticks fists and suffocated them with plastic bags until they lost consciousness. They further alleged that police unlawfully accessed their personal phone calls using confiscated mobile devices.
The defence applied for an order barring police from interfering with the accused persons’ calls arguing that any access to information should be limited to the ongoing investigation. Magistrate Khumalo granted the application ordered medical examinations for the accused and directed that they be transferred to a correctional facility instead of police holding cells.
The two were remanded in custody until January 20 pending the setting of their trial date.
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