By Musa Mdluli

MBABANE:Khanya Mabuza,the Principal Secretary(PS) in the Ministry of Health might face money-laundering criminal charges for allegedly colluding with South African potential Government suppliers to smuggle one hundred thousand Rands(R100,000.00) through the Oshoek Border Gate a few weeks ago.

The Principal Secretary is alleged to have travelled to South Africa to meet some potential Government suppliers and came back with the said amount in cash, he then drove to a Cash Wash with the money inside the car.

But the money was subsequently stolen by the Cash Wash ‘boys’ and the PS allegedly rushed to the police to report a criminal case.

The police allegedly told the Principal Secretary that, even though he lost the money, he will have to account where it was coming from and, why he was traveling with such large amount of money inside the car and, that was when he decided to withdraw the alleged criminal case.

When this journalist contacted the PS for a comment he first denied knowledge of any lost money in a Car Wash.

“Which Car Wash, never lost money”, he said.

But the Principal Secretary subsequently called editor Zweli Martin Dlamini on Tuesday evening confirming if there’s a Swaziland News journalist working on a lost “R100,000.00” story.

The PS told the editor that he was not aware of the said amount but only lost fifty-thousand Rands (R50,000.00) stolen by his garden boy.

“I have been contacted by a journalist, he said he is Musa Mdluli and is asking me about R100,000.00 lost-money in a Car Wash. I am not aware of the said money but only lost R50,000.00 stolen by my garden boy, the money was subsequently recovered,” said the Principal Secretary when speaking to the editor.

But the editor told the Principal Secretary that he must respond to this journalist as he cannot interfere and Mabuza responded confirming only the lost R50,000.00 that was subsequently recovered.

Efforts to seek a comment from Police Spokesperson Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report.

But police sources confirmed to this publication that, the PS might soon be investigated for alleged money-laundering amid allegations suggesting that, he smuggled the money from South Africa after meeting potential Government suppliers.