Times Of Swaziland: BUSINESSMAN DEPOSITED US$100 000 IN ZAMBIA

BUSINESSMAN DEPOSITED US$100 000 IN ZAMBIA
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Kwanele Dlamini on 03/07/2023 08:53:00


MBABANE – The businessman, Masiyakurima Agrippa Bopela (Masiya), allegedly
deposited US$100 000 (1.7 million Zambian Kwacha) in Zambia.
He, however, encountered a challenge when he tried to deposit E2.8 million at
First National Bank in Manzini last Tuesday. The bank allegedly informed Masiya
that he could only deposit the money in amounts of US$5 000 each day, but he
decided to leave as he could not stay in the country for that long.  According
to the Head of the Asset Forfeiture Unit, Principal Crown Counsel Elsie
Matsebula, Masiya allegedly sent, via WhatsApp, a message to one of the
investigators, Sergeant Steven Mlambo, which contained a receipt reflecting a
deposit of US$100 000 in a Zambian bank.  Masiya, however, deleted for everyone
the message. He is said to have also deleted the receipt but it was already
stored in the investigators cellphone since he had taken a screenshot of it.
Slip
Matsebula said the deposit slip showing that he allegedly deposited US$100 000
in Zambia was proof that he was involved in planting cash in different
jurisdictions, the purpose of which is unknown. “There are also articles
online raising some red flags that might prompt the conduct of placing cash in
various jurisdictions. There is a need to do an investigation in this regard and
we have since sent a request to Zimbabwe for assistance,” she said. Constable
Mbongeni Kunene, who is based at King Mswati III International Airport Police
Post, stated in his confirmatory affidavit that when he informed Mayisa, who was
then with his countryman, that they had to wait for his superiors so that they
could be escorted to the bank, they ran off and jumped into a Toyota Prado with
foreign registration plates, and drove off.  He said he had accompanied Masiya
to the Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) Office at the airport last Monday. He
submitted that Masiya was carrying two bags and was attended to by Zethu
Hlatshwako at the ERS Office.  Kunene informed the court that Masiya told
Hlatshwako that he had some cash to declare.  “He opened one bag and we
started counting the money, which was in US Dollars. It was packed in bundles.
There were 15 bundles of US$10 000,” said Kunene.
Appointment
He also told the court that Masiya informed him that he was going to FNB
Ezulwini Gables where he had an appointment. He said he asked Masiya how he
would deposit the money since it was 4pm and banks closed at 3:30pm. Masiya
allegedly told him that he would do private banking as bank officials were aware
that he would be arriving. Masiya also allegedly informed the police officer
that he wanted to deposit the money on that day because ‘he does not want to
sleep with the money’. According to Kunene, Hlatshwako signed the declaration
form in his presence and he was a witness. However, he said before appending his
signature, he called his shift supervisor and informed him that a Zimbabwean man
was declaring US$150 000.  Kunene said the shift supervisor told him that he
would notify the post commander about the matter and Hlatshwako released Masiya.
Kunene stated that he and Masiya went to the public concourse where the latter
met a fellow Zimbabwean national. “I advised them to wait for a bank escort.
The two men told me they could not wait for my superiors to ask for a bank
escort as they were running out of time. They said they wanted to reach Ezulwini
before 5pm. When I tried calling my shift supervisor, who said they should wait
for him, they ran towards a Prado with foreign registration licence plates and
drove off,” Kunene narrated. Sergeant Delisile Vilakati stated in her
confirmatory affidavit that Masiya also carried a further amount of 2 200
Ethiopian Birr.