E230K EXTORTION ATTEMPT: CALLER CLAIMED HE ALSO ASSISTED VICTOR- BISHOP LUKHELE

MBABANE - Businessman Bheki Lukhele says a soldier and another man allegedly coerced him to pay a sum of E230 000 after they posed as officers from EFIU.

EFIU is the Eswatini Financial Intelligence Unit and in recent months, there have been allegations that a high number of confidential files were leaked to independent journalists.
Lukhele made his submission in court yesterday. This was when he was testifying against the soldier, Zweli Honest Dlamini, who is accused together with Sihle Gama, of the alleged offence. Worth noting is that the duo was detained and later released, before Gama disappeared. Lukhele, who is the founder and Archbishop of All Nations Church in Zion, informed the court that he received a call from a man who only identified himself as Maphosa, during the course of the Easter services in Ezulwini.

Requested

He said the man further identified himself as an officer from the EFIU. The businessman said the caller requested that he should return the call as he needed to talk to him. The man of the cloth said Maphosa told him that he had been trying to locate him for a long time. “I called him immediately and he said he wanted to see me concerning a certain issue he did not disclose. I asked him what would happen if he talked to my lawyer, but he said he wanted to see me in person,” the man of the cloth told the court. Lukhele told the court that the caller (Maphosa) refused to disclose the gist of the matter, insisting that they should see each other.

“He then told me that he was in possession of documents where the International Police Organisation (INTERPOL) sought permission to investigate my bank accounts as there was suspected money laundering. He said that as an officer of the EFIU, he had the authority to sign the documents to allow the investigations. He said I was in bad standing and, therefore, I should pay a sum of E230 000 so that he could not authorise the investigations,” Lukhele told the court. The businessman submitted that the caller insisted that he should pay instantly, so that he could not authorise the investigations. He said Maphosa maintained that the money should be paid immediately, as he was working with a team of officers.

He submitted that he made it clear that he had difficulty paying for something he did not know. Lukhele said he told the caller that it was too late for him to get money as it was already after 10pm. “Maphosa said I should pay the little I had, because his colleagues were pressuring him to get the money. He said one of his superiors was at Lozitha to present tetfulo to the King and was expecting the money soon. I told him that I have no money, suggesting that we should meet in person,” Lukhele said. He told the court that he suggested that they should meet after the Easter services when the caller asked for a suitable time.

He said the caller called him on a Tuesday, but he informed him that Wednesday would be appropriate, because they were yet to bid farewell to the King on Tuesday. The man of God said Maphosa asked him if he knew the EFIU offices at The Plaza in Mbabane.  It was his evidence that he responded to the negative. However, he stated that he told Maphosa that people would show him the offices. “I asked Maphosa how we could meet in the offices if the matter was really secretive. I began to doubt him. He then said we should meet in any of my offices and I suggested the one at the industrial site opposite HiFiCorp,” he said.

The businessman added that Maphosa emphasised that he should bring the money and keep time on Wednesday. He said Maphosa called and reminded him about the proposed meeting on Wednesday morning. “He said I should call him when I was near Mbabane, so that he could come closer to my office. I called him while at Malagwane, however, he apologised, saying he would send Dlamini to represent him. He said Dlamini knew everything as he was also an officer from the EFIU,” Lukhele said.

Guards

While in his office, the businessman said his security guards informed him that there was a man who had identified himself as Dlamini from EFIU at the entrance. He submitted that he ordered the security guards to let Dlamini in, as he was expecting him. “I suspected that the man was not an officer from EFIU based on his dress code, but I did not judge him,” he said.
He said the man introduced himself as Dlamini from EFIU. He said the man also confirmed having been sent by Maphosa from EFIU. He said he then asked Dlamini to relate the story. However, he said Dlamini told him that he had nothing much to say as he was too junior. He said Dlamini suggested that his boss (Maphosa) be called to relate the story.

Confused

“I told Dlamini that I was confused because Maphosa suggested that we meet, but he sent someone else who wanted me to call him again. I asked Dlamini if he was really from EFIU. He suggested calling his boss and putting his phone on loudspeaker, so that we could all hear the conversation,” he said. The man of God said Maphosa, over the phone, told him that there was money laundering under his name, which had to be investigated by Interpol with his instructions. “I asked how he could stop INTERPOL investigations and he said he had all the powers as the EFIU officer. He said he could stop the investigations by not authorising them to happen. I asked for the documents as proof, because Dlamini came empty-handed,” he said.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: