MBABANE:Vumile Dlamini,the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the Royal Science and Technology Park(RSTP) allegedly created a front company Cypher Technology(Pty)Ltd,with an alleged intention to loot over R100million within the State owned company under the Ministry of Information,Communication and Technology(ICT).
Vumile Dlamini is the grandson of King Sobhuza II,the son of Prince Vovo within the powerful Royal household of Prince Phiwokwakhe where the late mother to the current Zulu King MisuZulu Princess Mantfombi originates.
An independent investigation conducted by this Swaziland News uncovered that,the CEO allegedly created and/or indirectly participated in the establishment of the said company,with an alleged intention of looting public funds by systematically channeling Royal Science and Technology Park(RSTP) tenders to Cypher Technology(Pty)Ltd for personal benefit.
The documents suggests that, Cypher Technology(Pty)Ltd is a subsidiary and/or a sister company to Cyphertech Group(Pty)Ltd,that was,on or around the 14th April 2021, irregularly awarded a tender amounting to about R50million for the supply of mere Microsoft Services,the actual amount as reflected in the documents is E44,993,670.19 with reference number F21/35A/10662 and,the tender was under the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology(ICT).
But apart from this amount,Cypher Technology(Pty)Ltd, the company with alleged links to Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Vumile Dlamini allegedly benefited questionable tenders for close to ten(10) years,the tenders and subsequent payments,were amounting to more than R10million per-year hence,the collective amount allegedly looted by the CEO and his alleged corrupt syndicate,amounts to over R100million.
But an investigation by this publication further uncovered substantive evidence suggesting that,in the process of the alleged looting of millions within the Royal Science and Technology Park(RSTP),Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Vumile Dlamini was colluding with Mxolisi Nicholas Dlamini,the Director of Cypher Technology(Pty)Ltd, Mxolisi Dlamini is an employee of the Eswatini Post and Telecommunications Corporation(EPTC) and indirectly related to the Chief Executive Officer(CEO).
As a result,Cypher Technology’s bank accounts held at NedBank and First National Bank(FNB) respectively,suggest that after receiving payments from the Royal Science and Technology Park(RSTP),the company would then transfer millions to Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Vumile Dlamini’s bank accounts.
The suspicious transactions were detected by the banking system at NedBank Eswatini and then investigated by the Anti Corruption Commission(ACC) subsequent to detailed correspondence between the bank and other law enforcement agencies.
But the investigation was allegedly sabotaged amid allegations suggesting that, ACC Chief Investigator Sipho Mthethwa was bribed to drop the high level investigation.
Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Vumile Dlamini declined to comment about the matter while Cypher Technology Director avoided questions.
Reached for comments by this Swaziland News on Monday morning,lawyer Sibusiso Nhlabatsi said,most alleged high profile people have proximity with the King hence the challenges in arresting them.
“The challenge in this country is that most alleged corrupt individuals have proximity with the King hence the challenges by the Anti Corruption Commission to arrest them.You may find that part of the money was presented to the King as “tetfulo” and it then becomes difficult for the ACC to arrest them”, said the lawyer.
Jabu Phakathi, the Spokesperson of the Anti Corruption Commission(ACC) declined to comment when asked why the institution was failing to arrest alleged corrupt individuals.
But part from the political influence in the operations of the ACC,it is alleged that, Sipho Mthethwa, the Chief Investigator of the Anti Corruption Commission who was handling the Royal Science and Technology Park(RSTP) investigation was allegedly bribed by the syndicate linked to the CEO to drop the investigation.
The documents further suggest that, the ACC corresponded with various banks including the Central Bank of Eswatini(CBE) when investigating Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Vumile Dlamini but, the investigation was subsequently sabotaged.
Vumile Dlamini,the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the Royal Science and Technology Park(RSTP)