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Senior cop stole PM's 11 cattle

01/10/2012 00:00:00 WELCOME DLAMINI

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MBABANE – The family of a senior police officer has written a stinging letter to his superior, accusing him of serious offenses, one of which was the theft of cattle belonging to Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini.

The officer who holds the rank of Assistant Superintendent has also been accused of having falsified his birth certificate to be eligible to join the Royal Swaziland Police (RSP).

The RSP usually recruits individuals who are below the age of 30.

The officer’s family has since written the letter and submitted it, on Monday, to the Commissioner of Police Isaac Magagula, detailing the alleged crimes.

The letter, which the Times has in its possession, has been copied to the Premier, King’s Office and Anti-Corruption Commission.

In the letter, the family bitterly complains to the police chief for not taking action against the officer when the crimes were brought to his attention through a previous letter written on January 9, 2012.

The theft of the PM’s cattle is said to have taken place during a time when he was still the Minister of Finance.

"Mr Commissioner, you have been made aware about the 11 cattle that were stolen from the honourable Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini when he was still Finance minister. These cattle were taken from a farm he owned then, in Maliyaduma, Salukazi Farm. You decided not to take action on this case because your favourite man was involved," the letter reads.

On the issue of the birth certificate, the officer is said to have altered his date of birth and is now even younger than his sister who was born after him.

One of his parents reportedly took part when the new certificate was applied for.

"He (officer) applied for a new birth certificate and changed his birth date to be three years younger in order to meet the RSP entry requirements and that is fraud. He used the same certificate that has the falsified age to join the force and that is fraud in itself.

"We all know that in order for one to get a birth certificate, a parent or guardian must apply for the child, and the same procedure was followed in the case of (the officer) when he acquired the birth certificate he is currently using, but he was fully aware that the birth date on the new certificate was not his true date of birth, which makes him an accomplice to the crime," states the letter.

It continues: "He was born in 1960, but in the new certificate, he was born in 1963. His younger sister was born in 1962, which clearly shows that using 1963 as his true year of birth, he was misrepresenting himself, and the Government of the Kingdom of Swaziland employed him on the basis that he met all the requirements."

In the same letter, the family accuses the police commissioner of not taking action against the officer because he "is your favourite man".

The implicated police officer is known as a no-nonsense person who has cracked a number of high-profile cases.

Police commissioner launches investigations

MBABANE – Police Commissioner Isaac Magagula has assigned his subordinates to investigate the senior police officer accused of theft and forgery.

Magagula said as soon as he received the letter from the officer’s family, he instructed his deputy, Khisimusi Ndlovu to work on it.

Details

"We are working on the matter and those concerned have been briefed on what has happened and we cannot go about with the details in the media."

He refuted claims by the family that he did not take any first action when the matter was brought to his attention.

Feedback

"We did do something but there was lack of feedback. He must remember that we must cover all angles and not rush the investigation," Magagula said.

Government Press Secretary could not comment on the alleged theft of the PM’s cattle and could only say: "It is only the public life of the Prime Minister that is our area of interest and not his private operations and family issues."

COMMENTS:

- a lot of now good people were very bad before.its not a matter of ancoraging dishournest but if that family was fare enough to the country they should have saved the country on this crime as it occures.now it clearly looks as a matter of jealousness without dout.this commissioner was bad but now very good to his duties and the country and even to the primeir himself.he must be forgiven and this issue forgotten.

October 01, 2012, 9:45 am, Micah Dlamini