MBABANE – Drivers in the Ministry of Education and Training are alleged to have siphoned government funds through falsified claims with the help of accountants.
It is purported that some drew above E150 000 this year alone. The alleged scheme dates back five years and may have cost government hundreds of thousands of Emalangeni. Drivers are accused of submitting fake overtime and travel claims for non-existent national events, while some supposedly processed duplicate payments for legitimate assignments.
Sources said the scheme involved falsified documentation and manipulation of payment vouchers, which were passed off as legitimate claims. Once processed, the proceeds were reportedly shared among drivers and officers within the ministry’s accounts section. “The claims were justified as payments for national events or emergency assignments; but checks showed many of those events never took place or the officers listed were not part of them,” a source said.
Insiders say fraudulent claims ranged between E27 000 and E35 000 per month, filed as overtime allowances and transport reimbursements. In certain months, multiple claims were allegedly submitted using different payment references to avoid detection.
The matter reportedly came to light after Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training Nanikie Mnisi noticed financial irregularities and initiated an internal audit. The audit team is said to have uncovered a pattern of repeated claims tied to the same events across several years. When contacted, Mnisi confirmed internal processes were underway. “There are internal processes which usually follow in such instances. The Office of the PS will act accordingly once all facts have been established,” she said.
Preliminary findings indicate the scheme may have involved deliberate falsification of duty rosters, forged signatures on claim forms and coordination between drivers and junior officers authorising payments.
Sources say implicated individuals attempted to justify claims by citing involvement in COVID-19–related assignments and other ministry activities. However, internal records show they were on ordinary duty during those periods.
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