Times Of Swaziland: GOVT TO AUCTION POCA FORFEITED ASSETS

GOVT TO AUCTION POCA FORFEITED ASSETS
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Times Reporters on 10/10/2022 09:03:00


MBABANE – For the first time since POCA became operational, government will
sell by public auction assets that were found to have been used as
instrumentality for criminal activities or acquired through illegitimate means.
The Prevention of Corruption Act (POCA) was put in place in 2018 and since its
inception, the State has seized and subsequently forfeited a number of assets
that are believed to have been acquired through criminal activities or used as
instrumentality for criminal activities. The Act came into operation on June 6,
2018. The money that will be generated from the sale of the assets will be
deposited into the Criminal Assets Recovery Account, established under Section
65 of the POCA, held at the Central Bank of Eswatini (CBE). A majority of those
who have been casualties of this Act include those who had been involved in
several organised crimes including fraud, armed robberies and drug trafficking,
to mention a few.
Outsource
The Assets Recovery Committee, with the assistance of Eswatini Public
Procurement Regulatory Agency (ESPPRA) underwent a process to outsource disposal
service through public auction.  As per the notice of intention to award that
was published, Swazi Auctioneers (Pty) Ltd emerged a successful tenderer for the
services. The auctioneers have since published an advert for the disposal of the
assets and the auction is scheduled for October 17, 2022 at His Majesty’s
Correctional Services (HMCS) in Matsapha. The items that will be sold include
but are not limited to trucks, mini trucks, bakkies and sedans.  Some of the
assets to be sold belong to an employee of the Office of the Master of the High
Court, who was arrested for allegedly stealing an amount of over E900 000 from
different estates. The duo is alleged to have also stolen a sum of E682 778.85
belonging to the estate of the late Patrick Bafana Sihlongonyane.
Suspects
The implicated suspects, Thandeka Xondile Maphalala, who is employed at the
Office of the Master and Thabani Derrick Sibanyoni who are both out on bail,
were fingered as the kingpins in the theft of estate monies. Other items which
will go under the hammer were seized from Chinese nationals. A police raid on a
large mansion at the high-end Tubungu Estate in Matsapha led to the busting of
the Chinese syndicate who dealt in illegal gambling machines. An amount of E205
312.66 in E2 coins, nine slot machines with their various components, 506 mobile
phones and five motor vehicles were recovered by the police during the raid.
Also to be found in one of the rooms were electronic components which were used
for programming the gambling machines. Some of the lottery gambling machines
were retrieved from two motor vehicles.
The motor vehicles were reportedly used to run the gambling business by
transporting the slot machines to shops, as well as collecting the proceeds
received from running the business.
The investigations by the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) came after there
was an outcry in Matsapha concerning pupils who were absconding classes to
gamble in the nearest shops. The six Chinese nationals who were found inside the
mansion claimed to be working for a ‘big boss’ who lived in China. It was
discovered that some of them were staying in the Kingdom of Eswatini without
valid permits.
Mansion
According to the police, the Chinese nationals, who were found in the mansion
are; Jiafei Cheng, Gen Cheing, Chen Shuxiang, Wang Xunnan, Wang Xunjie and Lin
Wei. Inside the mansion there were also five emaSwati who, upon been interviewed
by the police, indicated that they were employed by the Chinese as drivers. As
per Section 42 of POCA 2018, the State obtained an order to seize all the items
that were found in possession of the five Chinese nationals, including the
money. The motor vehicles which were reportedly used to operate the illegal
gambling business are part of the assets that will be sold through public
auction. Viewing of the assets, according to an advert that has been issued by
the auctioneers, will be on October, 12, 13 and 14, 2022, and for registration a
sum of E5 000, which will be refundable, will be required from the interested
buyers.  According to the auctioneers, this is the first leg of the disposal and
an advert for the sale of immovable and other movables will be published in the
coming week.