MANZINI:Sarfraj Patel,a powerful and politically connected Manzini businessman of Asian origin has been reported to the police for kidnapping an eighteen(18)month-old baby, while demanding to see the father who allegedly owes him money.
A questionnaire was sent to Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, the Police Spokesperson, however,she had not responded at the time of compiling this report.
Reached for comments by this Swaziland News on Monday evening,Sarfraj Patel,the Manzini Asian businessman said,it was just a misunderstanding that “is being sorted” with the assistance of the Manzini police.
“It was just a misunderstanding that is being sorted, tomorrow we are meeting again at the Police Station and I will apologise”, said the businessman.
A police statement allegedly signed by the mother and leaked to this Swaziland News suggests that,the highly connected Asian businessman, a suspected drug dealer who owns a cellphone shop in Manzini arrived at a hospital where the mother works and forcefully grabbed the child, both the mother and the father of the baby are citizens of eSwatini.
Information gathered further suggests that,the businessman then ordered the woman to call her boyfriend who allegedly owes him money and put him on loud speaker, the alleged intention was to inform the father that if he doesn’t pay, the Asian businessman will disappear with the baby.
But the father is alleged to have refused to entertain the Asian businessman and wondered why he was harassing his child and girlfriend for their personal dealings,the father then told the Asian to surrender the child and called a taxi to transport the baby to the house.
But the Asian businessman followed the taxi to the house hoping that, the father was there, he then threatened to burn the house and disappear with the baby if the father was not transferring the money.
The mother and the father identities cannot be revealed to protect the child and the matter is pending with the police.
The kidnapping comes at a time when eSwatini has faced some kidnapping cases among foreign businessmen,a high profile case was that of Matsapha businessman Almor Olivera who was kidnapped by unknown people and never found.
Qing Ming, a Chinese national was then found guilty and sentenced to sixty-six(66) years for the murder of the Matsapha businessman.
It could not be ascertained why the Manzini police opted to mediate between the Asian businessman and the mother of the kidnapped child instead of arresting the suspect for such a serious crime.
Sarfraj Patel, the Manzini powerful and politically connected businessman was at the Manzini Police Station on Saturday but he was not arrested, he then told this publication that, on Tuesday the police will mediate and he will apologise to the mother of the child.
Sarfraj Patel-Manzini based Asian businessman.