MBABANE – The prominent pastor who has been linked with the foreign nationals alleged to have been operating an illegal online gambling has come out to defend himself.
The man of the cloth, who cannot be named as he has not been charged, has spoken out about his role and how he got to be involved.
Firstly, he did not deny that he knows one of the men of foreign origin who are suspects in the illegal online gambling. In fact, the pastor said he knew one of them who is among the over 100 suspects who have since been arrested.
The pastor said: “While I will not deny knowing one of those recently arrested, who introduced himself to me as an investor in February this year, my understanding was that he intended to set up a legitimate business in Eswatini”.
This publication asked the pastor if he was not involved in the daily operations of the foreign nationals. In response he said: “I have never been part of their daily operations”. Again, this publication probed him further and asked him if he did not have any role in the setting up of the business operations of the foreign nationals.
He responded by saying: “My role was limited to supporting him as an investor and help him connect with key stakeholders relevant for his proposed business in the country”.
The pastor said he was not in a position to say much on the issue due to that it is now being handled by the police. Therefore, he did not mention the type of business the foreign national wanted to set up.
As reported by our sister publication, the Times of Eswatini, police investigations have allegedly linked the prominent pastor and his wife to the foreign nationals who were arrested at the Castle Hotel. With more being arrested at a guest house at Hawane , Woodlands residential area and Madlenya House .
It has been alleged that the pastor played a key role in organising accommodation and logistical arrangements for the group. It is further alleged that the pastor was among the first people to intervene when police moved in to arrest the suspects. It is also alleged that he approached the police and pleaded with them not to arrest the foreign nationals.
Also, the pastor reportedly told officers that the individuals were in the country to perform ‘national duties’. However, investigators are said to have established that the activities being carried out at the hotel had nothing to do with government work. Also it was reported that preliminary findings reportedly indicated that the man of the cloth and his spouse facilitated key aspects of the operation. These include accommodation and coordinating logistical support for the foreign nationals.
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Well-known real estate agents under investigation
MBABANE – It appears that the involvement of the prominent pastor is just a tip of the iceberg.
This is because it has been gathered that the are more emaSwati in different sectors involved.
It has been gathered that police are also probing prominent individuals in the real estate sector who are said to have facilitated some of the different accommodation facilities for the foreign nationals. The individuals cannot be named at this stage as none has been charged for any crime.
Meanwhile, there are also allegations that some police officers may have come into contact with some of the foreign nationals.
A senior police officer, is said to have ‘welcomed’ one of the suspects under the guise of assuring his protection and safety. The allegations are to the effect that the officers would even provide the safety whenever the foreign nationals went out to have a good time.
However, these allegations have not been proven.
Crackdown exposes abuse of trading licences, employees
MBABANE – The ongoing crackdown on an alleged foreign gambling ring has exposed how trading licences are abused.
The latest discovery by this publication is that although one of the companies operated an online gambling, it acquired a licence to operate as a car hire services company.
The licence, which this publication has a copy of, reflects that the company was granted a trading licence by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade last year.
The company operated around the Mbabane Central Business District (CBD) and is said to have been visited by police officers yesterday.
Notably, some former employees who were hired by the company have spoken out and shared some of the challenges they faced. One of the employees narrated that indeed the company they worked for operated as an online gambling. She said at first, the company ran its operations at a hangout spot belonging to a prominent businessman in Ezulwini.
At first, she said, when the operations happened at the businessman’s hangout spot they worked with some individuals of Mozambican origin. “The Mozambicans would come in at 3pm every day. However, at some point in January they were told that they no longer had jobs. In terms of the nature of the job, betting is not done by emaSwati, but its people from different countries,” she alleged.
The Mozambicans are said to have tried to fight their case, including involving the REPS and their embassy. Their argument, according to the former employee, was that they had been fired without a notice and therefore, had to be paid. The former employee said eventually the Mozambicans were given their money and they left the country.
Detailing the working conditions, the former employee said: “We complained every day because working 12 hours is not a joke, especially if you are going to be paid on E3 500. We were expected to come in to work at 7am and work till 7pm. You sit there, focusing on a computer,” she said.
Elaborating, the former employee alleged that they tried to engage the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to relay what they termed abuse in the workplace but did not succeed.
“I was given a contract in February last year. This means that it was ending in February this year. However, suddenly they told me that the period of probation will be considered. They then game me a letter that they will not renew my contract, and no justification was given,” she said.
Other employees are said to have been told that they no longer had jobs after demanding that they be paid overtime. Some of the former employees are said to have raised that they had worked 314 days and were eligible for overtime, but the human resource manager and director could hear none of it.
*Full article available on Pressreader*
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