MBABANE – The two purported kingpins in an illegal online gambling operation in Mbabane have been sentenced to fines totalling E77 000, with imprisonment terms imposed as alternatives if the fines are not paid.
Li Peng Chi and Lyu Tao, both Chinese nationals, were convicted and sentenced by Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi on August 21, 2026.
Li Peng, who was listed as accused 5 in the charge sheet, was sentenced on six counts in the court order.
On count one, Li was ordered to pay a fine of E5 000, failing which he would serve five years in prison. Count one relates to an allegation under the Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (Prevention) Act involving US$593 355.55, (E10.4 million) which the charge sheet stated was unlawfully acquired, possessed or used with knowledge or reason to believe that it was derived directly or indirectly from an offence in Eswatini.
The underlying offences cited in the charge sheet included contraventions of the Immigration Act and Gaming Control Act.
Li Peng was further ordered to pay E25 000 on count two, with five years’ imprisonment as the alternative sentence. The same sentence was imposed on count three, bringing the fines on those two counts to E50 000. Counts two and three relate to allegations that he engaged in gaming events or contingencies other than with a holder of a licence authorised to conduct such gaming.
The charge sheet places the conduct at Woodlands around March 2026, and at Madlenya Building.
On count four, Li Peng was ordered to pay E500, with one year’s imprisonment as the alternative sentence recorded in the court order. The charge sheet stated that this count concerned the operation of a gaming business without a valid licence or permit under the Trading Licences Order of 1975.
For count five, Li Peng was ordered to pay a further E500, failing which he would serve six months in prison. The charge sheet alleged that the accused unlawfully employed various foreign nationals without the necessary authorisation under the Immigration Act.
The court order also records a further E5 000 fine against Li Peng on count seven, with five years’ imprisonment as the alternative.
The court ordered that the sentences on counts one, two, three, four and seven run concurrently.
The total fines reflected in Li Peng’s court order amount to E61 000. Because counts one, two, three, four and seven were ordered to run concurrently, the alternative imprisonment terms attached to those counts would operate concurrently. The six-month alternative imprisonment term on count five was not stated to run concurrently in the order.
The other Chinese national, Tao, recorded as accused 7, was sentenced on five counts.
On count seven, Tao was ordered to pay E5 000, with five years’ imprisonment as the alternative. The same fine and alternative imprisonment term were imposed on count eight and count nine. The three five-year alternative terms were ordered to run concurrently.
Tao was also ordered to pay E500 on count 11, with six months’ imprisonment as the alternative, and another E500 on count 12, also carrying six months’ imprisonment in default of payment.
His fines therefore total E16 000. The charge sheet linked Tao to three money laundering-related counts involving substantial sums of money. Count 11 concerns E200 000 acquired, possessed or used on or about February 5, 2026, in Mbabane, while count 12 concerns E508 000 acquired, possessed or used on or about February 16, 2026, also in Mbabane.
Both counts were brought under section 4(1)(c)(i), read with sections 76 and 89(1)(a), of the Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (Prevention) Act.
The court further granted an application that Lyu be kept in custody for 14 days pending deportation. The two cases were dealt with under case number 334/2026A in the magistrates court in Mbabane. The Chinese nationals were represented Advocate Mduduzi ‘Tsotsi’ Mabila, who was instructed by Linda Dlamini of Linda Dlamini and Associates. Assistant DPP Thabo Dlamini appeared for the State.
