CUSTOMS OFFICER REJECTS E7 000 BRIBE FROM ASIAN

MBABANE – A customs’ officer allegedly rejected a bribe from an Asian at Ngwenya Border Gate.

Sokubonga Sikhondze told the court that he rejected a E7 000 bribe which was allegedly offered to him by Aslam Mohammed when he attempted to enter into the Kingdom with undeclared cellphones and accessories world E47 885. According to Sikhondze, Mohammed made the attempt after he allegedly lied to him that he was transporting speakers which had been taken to South Africa for repairs. “I asked him if he declared the speakers under the repair rates and he gave no response. He then went back to the car park and relaxed inside his car which had other passengers. I kept an eye on him. I saw his car approaching the entry point after a few minutes and I requested for a gate pass,” Sikhondze stated.

Consignment

He submitted that when he perused the gate pass, he noticed that there was nothing declared by Mohammed. “I asked him about the speakers which he mentioned earlier and he requested to give me E5 000 so that I can let him go with his consignment. His request raised curiosity and I suspected that he might not be transporting speakers as per his claim. I requested to open and search the car and Mohammed offered to give E7 000,” Sikhondze stated. He submitted that he then called a colleague and two police officers before he could open the boxes.
Sikhondze informed the court that he discovered 340 cellphones, 52 cellphone pouches, 26 packs of screen savers and 250 accessories.

When asked if he declared the goods at the South African side of the border, Sikhondze alleged that Mohammed informed him that he paid one of the South African police officers in order to get into Eswatini. The incident happened on October 15, 2019. However, Sikhondze told the court that Mohammed gave him an invoice dated October 14, 2019. According to Sikhondze, the invoice had no unit price, quantity and description of the goods.

He stated that he detained the consignment on condition that Mohamed would return with the invoice the following day. On the following day, Sikhondze told the court that Mohammed came with four invoices totaling E47 885 dated October 16, 2019.  During cross-examination, Linda Dlamini, who is representing Mohammed in the matter, asked Sikhondze why the goods were detained.

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