ATMS BOMBING: 2ND GOVT CLEANER REVEALED

SITEKI – The identity of the second woman arrested in connection with the ATMs bombing at Mpaka has been revealed.

Elli Olivia Dlamini (44) of KaShoba, under Chief Sibengwane, has been identified as a civil servant, who is employed as a cleaner in the Geology Department. She has since been con-joined with the other suspects; Dumisani Goodman Ngubane (34) of Daveton, South Africa, Armando Maswangayi (27) from Mozambique, Lethukuthula Hlongwa (21) of Natal, South Africa and Lomakhosi Dlamini (49) of Dlangeni under Chief Nsukumbili, in Eswatini. According to the amended charge sheet, Elli is the fifth accused in the matter and she faces a total of six counts. Following her confession on Monday at Siteki Magistrates Court, she appeared for her remand yesterday at the same court.

Elli, according to her confession, allegedly knew one of the suspects as they supposedly used to lend each other money.  She claimed that on that day of the bombing, she was not told where they were going. She reportedly disclosed that during the commission of the offences, they were seated inside a car and some of the suspects were remotely controlling something, purportedly the explosives detonator.

Money

Furthermore, it is alleged that after the bombing, Elli was dropped off at her home and was supposedly not given money. Instead, she was allegedly told that the money had ink and it had to be cleaned first. However, the other four suspects were arrested on the same night near Hhelehhele, in the Manzini Region. In count one, Elli and her co-accused are charged with theft in that on December 6, 2024, they were at Mpaka in the Lubombo Region, where they allegedly stole money amounting to E533 350 from an automatic teller machine (ATM), belonging to First National Bank (FNB) Eswatini, which was in the lawful possession of Mbongiseni Sibiya.

On the same note, in count two, they were also charged with theft. According to the charge sheet, it is alleged that on December 6, 2024, while they were at Mpaka in the Lubombo Region, the accused persons, purportedly stole money amounting to E320 210 from an ATM belonging to EswatiniBank. It was said that the money was in lawful possession of Andile Fakudze.On the other hand, in count four, they were charged with malicious damage to property in that on December 6, 2024, while they were at Mpaka, they purportedly damaged a FNB ATM and currency notes valued at E394 450.

Damage

Again, in the other charge of malicious damage to property, the accused persons are said to have allegedly damaged an EswatiniBank ATM and currency notes valued at E663 000. The incident is said to have happened on December 6, 2024, at Mpaka. She is also facing two charges of contravening Section 18(1) of the Public Order Act no 12/2017, in that on December 6, 2024, while they were at Mpaka; they purportedly impaired the usefulness or impeded the working of EswatiniBank and FNB ATMs, which were installed for self-service financial transactions, which is an essential service to the community.

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