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4 CHARGED OVER E150 000 SEC FRAUD

15/03/2014 05:24:00 BY SIBUSISO ZWANE

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The suspects (L-R) Greg John Sussman (front), Reshad Pires (L), Sanele Vilakati (behind the female officer) and Rashide Americano (behind Sussman) being escorted by police officers to the court room on Friday together with other suspects. (Pics: Sibusiso

MANZINI – Four men have been arrested for allegedly stealing and defrauding the Swaziland Electricity Company a sum of close E150 000.

The four suspects are Sanele Vilakati (23) of Kashali, Greg John Sussman (27) of Ludwala, Rashide Americano (27) of Fair View South and Reshad Pires (27) of Litharge Flats. It was gathered that Vilakati and Americano were sub-contracted to the company.

Vilakati was charged together with Sussman while Americano was charged with Pires. They appeared yesterday before Principal Magistrate David Khumalo where they were officially charged with the counts.
Sussman and Pires were represented by Lawyer Thulani Sibandze from Nzima Attorneys who was standing in for Lawyer Mabuza from Sipho Matse Attorneys. He told the court that both accused persons intended to plead not guilty.
On the other hand, Vilakati and Americano said they would represent themselves.

Information gathered was that during the month of July 2013 at the SEC depot in Matsapha, Vilakati allegedly stole a sim card number 7602 3438 that was belonging to company’s fleet management system. It was said that the sim card was worth E25.

It is alleged that upon the month of September 2013 and January 2014, either Vilakati alone or together with Sussman acted jointly in furtherance of a common purpose misrepresent to MTN Swaziland that they were the true and lawful users of the said sim card yet knew that they were not the owners.
The accused person(s) allegedly caused the company to make loss amounting to E82 313, 37.

“Meanwhile, during the month of August 2013, at SEC depot in Malkerns, Americano stole a sim card number 7602 3182 which was belonging to the company’s fleet management system. The sim card was valued at E25.”
“Americano and Pires either acting alone or jointly in furtherance of a common purpose defrauded the SEC a sum of E63 156, 49. They did this by misrepresenting to MTN Swaziland that they were the true and lawful users of the sim card number, 7602 3182 yet they know that they were not the owners,” the charges read.

The suspects were arrested by the members of the Royal Swaziland Police from Lukhozi under the Fraud Department in Manzini on Thursday and they were slapped with four counts.