E400K FRAUD: EX-BANKER EXTRADITED AFTER YEARS ON THE RUN

NGWENYA – After more than a decade on the run, Bongani Kunene, a former Standard Bank employee, has been extradited from South Africa to Eswatini.  

Kunene (31) of Extension 6 in Manzini, is accused of defrauding the bank of over E400 000, prompting his flight to South Africa. The extradition process, a formal procedure where one country transfers a suspected criminal to another for trial, culminated yesterday at the Oshoek/Ngwenya Border Gate. 

At approximately 10am. South African authorities handed Kunene over to Eswatini police.  Law enforcement officials from both countries finalised the necessary documentation at the border.  

Sombre

Kunene, wearing a checkered shirt, grey trousers and sneakers, appeared sombre as he was escorted by armed police officers to the Ngwenya Police Gate, carrying three bags.  Police officers also photographed him during the handover. Following his arrival, Kunene was transported to the Manzini Regional Headquarters and subsequently appeared at the Manzini Magistrates Court for a remand hearing. He faces nine counts of fraud and theft.

The charges against Kunene stem from his time as a proof of payment operator at the bank’s Operations Processing Centre in Matsapha.  He is alleged to have misled employees into believing that certain cheque deposits into a bank account were valid and required immediate processing. 

These cheques were reportedly fraudulent, resulting in a total loss of E401 935.68 for Standard Bank. According to the charge sheet, one instance of fraud occurred on August 24, 2004, where Kunene allegedly misrepresented a E10 026.72 cheque deposit into the SMG Group Investment account. 

A similar incident allegedly took place on September 10, 2004, involving a E28 631.10 deposit into the same account.  In both cases, Kunene’s actions are said to have induced employees to process the deposits, ultimately leading to financial losses for the bank. Kunene faces a series of charges related to fraud and theft committed over multiple instances between August 2004 and May 2005.

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