... IT’S BLACKMAIL, WE ARE INNOCENT - BUSINESSMAN

MANZINI - Some of the Asian businessmen who are accused of defrauding their fellow countrymen and government claim they are innocent and see the claims as blackmail.

One of them said he was aware that there was a case of fraud that was opened against him, but claimed that he did nothing wrong. “I will tell the court everything and nothing else but the truth,” he said. He alleged that there were some fellow countrymen who were out to tarnish his name.

Blackmailing

He claimed that they were blackmailing him because of family issues, which started back in their home country. On the same note, another one said it was true that government, through the EswatiniBank paid them, but he said he did not release all the money to his partner because he allegedly owed him. He alleged that he was in partnership with one of the complainants and in their corporation, he owned 30 per cent shares and he purportedly got nothing for about a year and a half. “In that regard, I believe the business owed me at least E209 500,” he said. He said he wanted to sit down with his partner and resolve the matter, but he seemed to have been influenced by one of the camps within their community living in Eswatini.

Hope

He expressed hope that when some of the elders within the community returned from Bangladesh, a meeting would be convened and the matter would be resolved. “I can openly say that there is a group within our community that is out to mess up things, supposedly out of jealousy and greediness,” he claimed. As such, he highlighted his fear of bloodshed due to the conflict over the Reconstruction Fund money. In fact, he highlighted that some of them had been involved in a fight over the same issue and the matter was still being investigated by the police.

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