MBABANE – EEC has uncovered a purported internal fraud scheme, in which one of its employees is suspected to have siphoned E166 244.45, through the manipulation of customer refund processes.
The discovery by the Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) relates to activities that reportedly took place between December 2024 and August 2025 at the company’s Mbabane offices.
According to information contained in a report filed by the utility, the employee, who was working as a commercial service officer, supposedly created and processed fraudulent customer refund request forms, presenting them as legitimate claims.
It is alleged that the suspect generated fictitious refund applications within the system, making it appear as though customers were entitled to reimbursements. These requests were reportedly then processed and approved, resulting in payments being made.
However, it is said it later emerged that the refunds were not based on genuine customer claims.
The scheme is believed to have continued undetected for several months, with the suspect purportedly taking advantage of their access to internal systems used to manage customer accounts and financial transactions.
Sources indicate that the employee’s role enabled them to initiate and process refund transactions, which may have allowed the fraudulent activities to proceed without immediate detection.
The alleged irregularities only came to light after discrepancies were identified during a review of financial records, prompting a closer examination of refund transactions.
An internal audit reportedly uncovered patterns consistent with fraudulent activity, leading to the discovery of the alleged scheme.
The matter has since been reported to police and investigations are ongoing.
Marketing and Corporate Communications Manager of the utility Khaya Mavuso said: “Yes, a case has been opened with the police as part of ongoing investigations. At this stage, nothing conclusive has been established, pending the finalisation of the investigations.”
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