Times Of Swaziland: DAVE WILLING TO HELP TRACE LOST E340M ECSPONENT FUNDS

DAVE WILLING TO HELP TRACE LOST E340M ECSPONENT FUNDS
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Sabelo Majola on 29/02/2024 08:53:00


MBABANE – Dave Van Niekerk says he is willing to help distraught investors of
the now defunct Ecsponent trace their last E340 million.
Van Niekerk is the man accused by the investors and ESWIG, through the court, of
having knowledge in the disappearance of the money. A case is pending at the
High Court, where Van Niekerk has been taken to, regarding the lost E340 million
investment by about 1 400 emaSwati. Following a press statement by the Investors
Relations Committee (IRC) issued on Tuesday, Van Niekerk has since responded.
Van Niekerk, through his attorneys, has shared in his own statement that he was
willing to help IRC trace the E340 million, lost Ecsponent funds.
His statement comes at the wake of IRC statement, where the committee revealed
that it had learnt through the media of the recent visit of Van Niekerk to the
country. “Regrettably Van Niekerk is one of the defendants cited in the
ongoing court action against the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA)
and others,” reads the IRC statement. It was shared in the statement that the
IRC would not want to delve much into the court case as it was still sub judice.
“Nevertheless, we do want to reiterate our belief and faith in our government,
in particular the Judiciary, which is seized with the ongoing court process in
the attempt to assist the investors recover the over E340 million invested by
the emaSwati, who comprise individuals and institutions,” reads the statement.
Conference
In response, Niekerk shared that he had been made aware of a press conference in
Eswatini called by ESW Investment Group (ESWIG) and its Investors Relations
Committee, where issues related to the disappearance of E340 million belonging
to emaSwati in Ecsponent were addressed to the media. “I would like once again
to reiterate that I was never a director at Ecsponent and we have proven
unequivocally that I was never a director of Ecsponent. How can somebody
continue to use my name on issues related to Ecsponent which is now ESW
Investment Group,” he wondered. Van Niekerk said he was happy to meet the
chairperson of the committee or the whole committee to explain everything and if
the committee was serious about their work, then he would happily help them
trace the missing funds. “I have reached out to (name withheld) to assist in
their investigations to provide them with information that me and my lawyers
have gathered regarding the disappearance of E340 million belonging to emaSwati
in Ecsponent,” he wrote in the statement.
He said the red notices obtained from the court were a matter of contention and
when they were lifted, he was willing to come to Eswatini to meet the committee
and happily help them in this process of tracing the lost funds. “In closing,
I would just like to reiterate again that I was never a director at Ecsponent
and this has been proven time and time again,” he said. This publication
inquired further from Van Niekerk, through his attorneys, however, there were no
responses at the time of going to print, as his attorneys shared that he was out
of the country (South Africa) and the responses might take a while.