Mbabane– A Chinese national, Chen Tianwang, has pleaded guilty to nine serious charges involving fraud, unlawful possession and use of identity and travel documents, as well as corruption-related offences linked to the alleged acquisition and use of Eswatini identity and immigration documents.
Chen, a businessman residing in Ezulwini with his family, appeared before Senior Magistrate Sfiso Vilakati at the Mbabane Magistrate Court, where he admitted all charges preferred against him. The matter has been postponed to July 8, 2026, for sentencing.
According to the charge sheet, the offences relate to incidents spanning from February to September 2024, involving alleged misrepresentation to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the use of fraudulent identity and travel documents, including an Eswatini National Identity Card and a Kingdom of Eswatini Travel Document.
In Count 1, Chen is accused of contravening Section 83(b) of the National Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Act of 2022 for allegedly making a false statement or producing a fraudulent identity document at the Ministry of Home Affairs in Mbabane on August 14, 2024. The document is linked to identity number 8110196100563.
In Count 2, he faces fraud charges for allegedly misrepresenting to immigration officials that the identity document belonged to a Liswati national born in Eswatini, thereby inducing the Ministry to issue a travel document.
Further charges under the Immigration Act arise from allegations that Chen unlawfully used or possessed a travel document and a national identity card issued without lawful authority.
Counts 5, 6 and 7 relate to alleged fraudulent use of the Kingdom of Eswatini Travel Document at Ngwenya Border Gate on multiple occasions in September 2024, where he is accused of presenting himself as a citizen of Eswatini in order to exit the country.
He is also charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act in Counts 8 and 9, where he is alleged to have unlawfully obtained or attempted to obtain a travel document and national identity card through improper or unauthorised means.
The State alleges that the accused knowingly used false documentation and misrepresented his identity to immigration authorities on multiple occasions, thereby gaining benefits he was not legally entitled to.
However, during mitigation, defence counsel Sibandze told the court that Chen is a first-time offender who pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, saving the court’s time. The defence further submitted that the accused is legally resident in Eswatini, holds valid permits, operates a wholesale business supplying supermarkets, and lives in Ezulwini with his wife and child.
The defence argued that several of the charges overlap and should be treated concurrently for sentencing purposes, particularly those relating to the identity card and fraud, as well as those concerning border crossings using the disputed travel documents.
Counsel further urged the court to consider a non-custodial sentence, noting that the accused has shown remorse by pleading guilty to all charges.
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