ACC WHISTLE-BLOWER OFFICER SUSPENDED

EZULWINI – The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has suspended its Assistant Investigator, Bonginkhosi Dlamini.

Bonginkhosi is the officer who recently blew the whistle on some of the operations of the ACC. Bonginkhosi was arrested and charged on allegations of bribery and extortion. He has been suspended pending investigations. He was served with a suspension letter about two weeks ago. Bonginkhosi is currently out on E5 000 bail. He is faced with five counts. ACC Director Jabu Phakathi confirmed Bonginkhosi ’s suspension. “It is true that following his arrest, the ACC has since suspended him, considering that the offences are alleged to be in violation of his position as an assistant investigator, to the detriment of the ACC,” said Phakathi.

She said she is not in a position to pre-empt the decision that will be taken in the event he is found guilty. Phakathi was responding to questions on the next steps to be taken against Bonginkhosi should the allegations levelled against him are proved to be true.On another note, the ACC director stated that Bonginkhosi has been suspended with full pay, after considering national labour laws. She advised other staff members of the ACC to refrain from any illegal activity. “The ACC is clear that acts of corruption will not be tolerated, especially from staff members. When allegations of corruption are reported about a member of staff, they will be investigated and the offender will be brought to book,” she said.

Worth noting is that Bonginkhosi is alleged to have demanded nearly E200 000 from the head teacher of Lusoti High School, to not investigate him for allegedly misappropriating school funds. The accused allegedly first demanded a E100 000 tender from the head teacher of the school, to stop his colleagues from investigating him.He is also alleged to have demanded a cow from the Director of Operations at Eswatini Railway, Sandile Stanley Dlamini, to stop ACC investigators from instituting an investigation against him.

Bonginkhosi was arrested by his colleagues. He was charged with four counts under the Prevention of Corruption Act No.3 of 2006 and two under the Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (Prevention) Act of 2011, as well as alternative extortion and attempted extortion charges. Deep Gold Investment (Pty) Ltd and Red Heart Investments (Pty) Ltd, where he is a director in both, are the second and third accused, respectively. In the first count, Bonginkhosi is accused of contravening the Prevention of Corruption Act.

He, together with Deep Gold Investments, in furtherance of a common purpose, allegedly solicited an advantage from Lusoti High School Head teacher Thamsanqa Masuku, for the benefit of his Deep Gold Investments, to prevent ACC investigators from investigating him for purportedly stealing and misappropriating school funds. Bonginkhosi and Deep Gold Investments, according to the charge sheet, accepted E100 000 from the head teacher as an inducement or reward, so that he would not be investigated by the ACC investigators. The offence was committed in July 2021 at Madonsa Township in the Manzini Region.

Demanded

The first alternative charge to the first count is that in July 2021, at Madonsa Township, Bonginkhosi and Deep Gold Investments, directly or indirectly, demanded payment of a tender to supply goods valued at E100 000 to Lusoti High School to their benefit.This, according to the charge sheet, amounted to the abuse of Bonginkhosi’s position of authority, alternatively an act amounting to a breach of trust. The charge sheet states that, alternatively, the act amounted to a violation of a legal duty and/or set of rules of the said head teacher of Lusoti High School. The second alternative charge against Bonginkhosi and his company is extortion.

Also reportedly committed in July 2021 at Madonsa Township, the ACC assistant investigator and Director of Deep Gold Investments, acting individually or jointly in furtherance of a common purpose, intentionally invoked fear in the mind of Masuku. He is alleged to have threatened the head teacher by promising to continue with the purported investigations of misappropriation and/ or theft of school funds instituted by the ACC against him. He is said to have made the alleged threat that, unless Masuku gave his company, Deep Gold Investments (Pty) Ltd the tender to supply goods valued at E100 000, he would be investigated for misappropriating school funds.

As a result of this act, Bonginkhosi and Deep Gold Investments are alleged to have extorted and obtained the payment of E100 000 from the head teacher. In the second charge, Bonginkhosi and his other company, Red Heart Investments, in September 2023, reportedly solicited an advantage from one Lusoti High School head teacher in the sum of E83 000 as an inducement to and/or reward for and/or otherwise on account of Bonginkhosi persuading his work colleagues to not continue with purported investigations instituted by the ACC against Masuku.

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