‘CONVICTS MUST PAY BACK MONEY’

MBABANE – The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said the E50 million Capacity Building exercise convicts have let down His Majesty the king.

As a result, Principal Crown Counsel Macebo Nxumalo yesterday pleaded with the court to order Phindile Gwebu, Sebenzile Thango, Ethel Matsebula and their companies, Inhlava Consultancy (Pty) Ltd and Masima Consultancy (Pty) Ltd, to compensate government.
Nxumalo said the exercise was the King’s brainchild and his effort was let down by the convicted trio.

He said the exercise was cut short after government discovered that the money that had been set aside for capacity building was looted in a short space of time.
The principal crown counsel said the issue of compensation was supported by Section 321 (1) of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act of 1938.

Thango and Matsebula, in their mitigation, told Judge Nkululeko Hlophe that they did not have money and that the court should look into their personal circumstances.
Nxumalo submitted that the issue of compensation did not refer to the ability of an accused person to pay the injured party.

He said if the court saw it suitable, then it can order the accused person to compensate the affected party.
The crown counsel mentioned that the king, during the official opening of parliament, said corruption and fraud could not be tolerated and that the guilty party should be made to compensate the injured party.

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