By Musa Mdluli

MBABANE:SwaziPharm Director Kareem Ashraff’s ongoing troubles with the Eswatini Revenue Service(ERS) might result to the revenue institution attaching and selling Mbabane Swallows to recover outstanding taxes.

In South Africa, the revenue institution grabbed Royal AM, a football team previously owned by current Mbabane Highlanders Director Shawn ‘MaMkhize’ Mkhize to recover outstanding taxes and with Mbabane Swallows now linked to Ashraff, the football team might attract the attention of the revenue institution.

But tax administration and legal experts say the football team risk being sold by ERS if found to be part of the businessman’s assets however, “this is normally” the last resort.

Responding to this Swaziland News, lawyer Sibusiso Nhlabatsi confirmed that, the Eswatini Revenue Service might attach assets including the team if it’s linked or part of the businessman’s assets but clarified that, “grabbing properties is the last resort” by ERS.

“The attachment of assets is usually a measure of last resort. What the tax administrator does first in terms of the Income Tax Order is to call upon the defaulting entity to comply. Of course the tax administrator has  powers to issue sanctions, charging interest on the outstanding amount. It is when the taxpayer fails on the arrangements or call for compliance that then the tax administrator may attach assets,” said the lawyer when speaking to editor Zweli Martin Dlamini.

It has been diclosed through an investigation conducted by this Swaziland News that, SwaziPharm Director is transferring money to Mbabane Swallows and this was subsequently confirmed by the football club’s President Absalom Ngwenya.

Kareem Ashraff stands accused of looting billions of public funds resulting in the shortage of drugs in public hospitals.