‘I ARRANGED MING HE’S ILLEGAL CROSSING’

MBABANE - A Chinese businessman has alleged that he arranged with a South African Customs official for Qing Ming He and two other men to illegally cross the border to the republic after Almor Oliveira went missing.

Qing is the Chinese man who has been charged with the kidnap and murder of Matsapha businessman, Oliveira, who went missing on April 16, 2017.
Yesterday, Wen Ming-Fa Kevin, who is also a Chinese national, submitted that he knew Qing as he had allegedly done business with him in the past in the country.
Kevin stated that in the afternoon of April 16, 2017, while on a boat fishing in Durban, he received a phone call from Qing. He alleged that the accused asked for Oliveira’s wife’s cellphone number, but since he did not have it, he gave him Oliveira’s number.

He told the court that he knew the Oliveiras to be a married a couple, and he said he had not seen Oliveira since 2017.
Kevin alleged that Qing requested him to obtain for him a South African SIM card and emphasised that it should not be registered in any name. The witness submitted that he told Qing that he did not know if that could be done.

He alleged that Qing also asked him if he knew how he could travel to South Africa without a visa since his had expired. He said he told the accused that he needed to find out first. The witness submitted that he told Qing that he would have to make some calls to make arrangements for him to cross the border illegally.
Kevin submitted that a few minutes later, he called Qing to tell him that he had spoken to a Customs employee in South Africa based at the border, who agreed to assist him cross the border illegally at a fee of R2 000 per person. Kevin pointed out that at the time, Qing had not clearly told him if there were other people he would be travelling with.

“I called the accused and gave him the reply. I gave him the Customs official’s number to get more details.” alleged Kevin. He further alleged that Qing refused to take the number and insisted on him being their contact person. Kevin alleged that Qing informed him that there were two other Chinese men he would be travelling with.
“I called the Customs official to make the arrangement and it was done and then I called the accused to let him know that everything had been arranged.”
Kevin further submitted that Qing allegedly informed him that he did not have transport and asked him to make arrangements for them to get to Bloemfontein in the neighbouring country.

Located

The witness told the court that about 30 minutes later, he located one of his friends, who was a Portuguese national, Juki, who allegedly agreed to take them Bloemfontein at a cost of between E10 000 and E15 000.  Again he alleged that Qing refused to take the driver’s contact details and insisted that he be their contact person.
Qing, according to Kevin, requested him to make arrangements for them to meet the driver in the afternoon of the following day in Manzini, outside Boxer Supermarket.
Kevin alleged that after that conversation he did not hear from Qing until he called to inform him that he was in Bloemfontein.

He informed the court that Qing invited him to Bloemfontein and when he arrived there he discovered that he had met Qing’s two companions prior in Eswatini. However, he said he did not know their real names and he addressed them with their nicknames. These are allegations whose veracity is yet to be tested in court.
Qing is represented by Noncedo Ndlangamandla, who has instructed Advocate Barry Roux. Principal Crown Counsel Thabo Dlamini instructed Advocate Gareth Lepan to appear for the State.

When the trial started, Qing gave the names of three people he alleged were involved in the kidnapping and probable murder of Oliveira.
He alleged that the suspects were Zhang Xio Jian, Chen Qin and Chen Guo Qin.
This was when he explained his plea of not guilty to the charges of murder, kidnapping and extortion. He is alleged to have demanded a ransom of E5 million from Oliveira’s wife for the release of her husband.

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