EXTORTION, CYBERBULLYING AT EPTC, COPS ROPED IN

MBABANE – Police have launched an intense investigation into allegations of extortion and cyberbullying at EPTC.

For the past five years, it is said that some employees of the Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC) have been subjected to extortion and cyberbullying. Extortion is the practice of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats, while cyberbullying is a form of bullying or harassment using electronic means. The person who was reportedly scamming and cyberbullying the employees used a local and South African cellphone numbers. The caller would make the targeted employee to believe that she (caller) was hired by EPTC as a private investigator and in order for her not to divulge their corrupt practices to their superiors or on social media, they were  expected to pay a large amount of money to protect their jobs.

Refused

A number of the targeted employees are said to have refused to pay the demanded amount and as a result, they were blackmailed on social media. Police investigations have reportedly found that the local number that was utilised to scam the employees belonged to a stepdaughter of a senior technician at EPTC, while the South African number belonged to his wife.
It is reported that the caller sometimes demanded money ranging from E10 000 to E20 000 as a condition for the confidential and sensitive information to be kept under wraps. This has reportedly been going on since 2018. The breakthrough by the police came after one of the targeted employees alerted the law enforcers. The targeted employee is said to have pretended to the caller that he was willing to pay her in order not to disclose his alleged corrupt practices. This was after the targeted employee had received a call from the scammer, who was demanding money in order not to disclose his secrets or alleged corrupt practices at work. Last Monday, investigations led the police to Malunge EPTC flats in Mbabane, where the Senior Technician, Bongani Magagula, his wife and stepdaughter reside.

On the same day, the police visited Magagula’s workplace in Mbabane, where they confiscated a number of electronic gadgets, which they believe will be of great assistance as they intensify their investigations into the matter. The confiscation of the gadgets, which include laptops, cellphone and other electronic devices, comes after the police moved an ex-parte application at the Mbabane Magistrates Court. An ex-parte application refers to an application made by one party to a court without the notice of the other party. This means that an ex-parte applicant wants to seek a court order without giving the other party the opportunity to respond to the application. In this case, the police moved the application ex-parte as they reportedly feared that the implicated people might conceal evidence or delete some of the information in their gadgets in the event they were notified or served with the application.
In the order, which was granted by Magistrate Lenhle Zulu, the police officers were authorised to search and confiscate any computer storage device, external storage device, stamps or any other material of evidential value at the office, flat or car belonging to Magagula and his wife.

The court also ordered Magagula to disclose any password of a computer system to access computer data. Magagula was the first respondent in the matter while his stepdaughter has been cited as the second respondent.  In his founding affidavit, Mbabane Police Station Desk Officer, Detective Assistant Inspector Akhona Dludlu, narrated to the court how the investigations started and the modus operadi that was employed by the alleged perpetrators in a bid to scam the employees. He brought it to the attention of the court that he was the principal investigating officer of an alleged extortion and cyberbullying of EPTC employees. These are allegations whose veracity is still to be tested in court and the respondents are yet to file their papers in the event they are opposed to the order being made final. It will be in these opposing papers where Magagula and the other respondent are expected to present their side of the story. The investigator told the court that during the course of the years 2018 to 2023, EPTC employees reported that they were being extorted by an unknown person(s) using a South African number +27657483994 luring them to make payments to the suspect(s) in exchange for not leaking sensitive information about them.

Sensitive

He related to the court that after not making payment, the caller would release the sensitive information to the public through social media platforms. Assistant Inspector Dludlu highlighted to the court that investigations were still ongoing and statements had been obtained as part of evidence collection in this case. “Investigations revealed that the cell number +27657483994 belongs to Ntombifuthi Ndzimandze-Magagula, a 41-year-old woman of Phonjwane and is the lawful wife of Bongani Magagula, who is employed as a Senior Technician at EPTC. There was also another cell number in the MTN Eswatini network, which was used in the alleged extortion in this case 7604 1131, which when further investigated, it was gathered that it belongs to the stepdaughter of Magagula (EPTC employee), named Londiwe Dlamini. Through the evidence obtained, it is reasonably believed that they benefitted in the commission of the above cited criminal offence,” submitted the investigator.

Assistant Inspector Dludlu averred that in an effort to further their investigation and bring all the offenders who (allegedly) committed this crime to justice, he deemed it prudent to apply for a search and seizure warrant, to conduct search and seizure at the residential place or the person of Bongani Magagula and Londiwe Dlamini of the under listed items, which will assist in the investigation of the cited offence; electronic gadgets including cellphones, laptops and any electronically communicable devices.

Warrant

“Your Worship, the relevant warrant of search and seizure has been made available for your authorisation. I know and understand the contents of this affidavit. I have no objection to taking the prescribed oath. I consider the oath to be binding to my conscience,” contended Dludlu. Meanwhile, in October last year, EPTC launched a 24-hour toll-free whistle-blowing hotline, on number 800 23 23. The exercise was to be done in partnership with an independent service provider, KPMG Services (Pty) Ltd, a South African company. The corporation’s Managing Director (MD), Themba Khumalo, was quoted having said in their drive to prevent fraud and corruption, EPTC had set up an anonymous toll-free ethics hotline (800 23 23), which would enable third parties to blow the whistle anonymously and safely on all unethical conduct within the corporation.

Khumalo said KPMG would be able to receive calls in both official languages of the country that is English and siSwati. “I would like to emphasise that the hotline is based in South Africa, which will ensure the protection of the whistle-blower’s identification,’’ said the MD. He said the whistle-blowing ethics hotline 800 23 23 service could be used by members of the public, employees, customers and suppliers to report cases of fraud, unethical practices, conduct and abuse of company assets.

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