Times Of Swaziland: ECSPONENT LOSS: WARRANT  OF ARREST  ISSUED - AG

ECSPONENT LOSS: WARRANT  OF ARREST  ISSUED - AG
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Nonduduzo Kunene on 03/12/2024 15:40:00


LOBAMBA – The attorney general (AG) has told Parliament that there is a
warrant of arrest against individual/s allegedly associated with the missing
E335 million Ecsponent investments.
On the other hand, the police say they can neither confirm nor deny any
existence of a warrant of arrest. According to the recommendations of the select
committee appointed by the House of Assembly to scrutinise and analyse the
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH) INC Forensic Report on the lost millions through
Ecsponent investment scheme, two names, being that of Zimbabwean-born George
Manyere and Dave van Niekerk constantly come up in the report and are linked to
the companies that are cited in the missing millions.
Individuals
These individuals were both met by the committee members, in-person. The select
committee met Manyere in the Parliament conference room, while Van Niekerk was
met at Pretoria, in South Africa. According to submissions that were made in
Parliament by members of the committee, the Minister for Finance, Neal
Rijkenberg, played a significant role in facilitating the meeting. According to
the Members of Parliament (MPs), the reason they met Van Niekerk in South Africa
was because he feared being arrested in Eswatini, because he learnt that law
enforcers wanted to arrest him.
Last Thursday, the committee was criticised by some MPs, including Phondo MP
Bonginkosi Dube, for meeting these individuals without alerting the police.
There was confusion in the House about whether there was a warrant of arrest
against any of the individuals that were met by the committee. The AG, Sifiso
Mafelenkhosini Khumalo, confirmed to the House that the individuals were
suspects. He also stated that there is an existing warrant of arrest.
“I do not know whether I should state in this House if there is a warrant of
arrest or not, but as far as I know, there is a warrant of arrest,” he said.
The AG also explained during the session that a warrant of arrest should be
initiated by the police. Other MPs, who included Somntongo MP Sandile Nxumalo,
said if there is a warrant of arrest against Van Niekerk, which has led him to
meet the committee in South Africa, what was difficult for law enforcers to
place him on Interpol. The Somntongo MP criticised government for being too
relaxed about the issue and failing emaSwati along the way.
Noteworthy, the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS), which is entrusted with
initiating arrests, denied any existence of a warrant of arrest against Van
Niekerk. This was after it was reported by our sister publication the Times
Sunday that he was seen rubbing shoulders with high-ranking government
officials. Yesterday, after the AG’s response in Parliament, the National
Commissioner (NATCOM) of  Police, Vusi Masango, was asked by this newspaper on
the status or existence of a warrant of arrest against Van Niekerk or Manyere.
His response was that such information could not be shared with the public. “I
have consulted with my team and at the moment we cannot say anything, as a lot
of things are at stake. We are at a critical stage. To divulge any information
could jeopardise our investigation,” he said.
Investors
On Thursday, the House resolved that the investors should decide which method
they felt best suits them in terms of recovering their money. There was a
concern that many investors, especially the elderly, might not live long enough
to see the conclusion of the legal process, given that 81 out of over 1 000
investors have already passed away. The second option is for the House to assign
the minister for Finance, working with the Central Bank of Eswatini (CBE)
governor, to set in motion a model that will get all the two major
stakeholder’s companies on the matter involving Manyere and Van Niekerk;
Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) and others, to at least, pay back
the principal amounts invested by the investors into Ecsponent Eswatini.  The
House gave the minister for Finance three months to recover the funds if the
investors choose the second option.