MBABANE:Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini has been accused of using public funds to pay some investigators of the Anti Corruption Commission(ACC), with an alleged intention to capture and weaponize the State law enforcement institution against his perceived political enemies.
This disclosure comes after the PM announced the establishment of an Anti Corruption Task Team during a press conference which he said, will fight corruption in the country.
The Prime Minister went on to say, the Task Team will report to directly him on operations or cases under investigation.
But some ACC investigators told this Swaziland News this week that, the PM is allegedly using Chief Investigator Sipho Mthethwa, Acting Commissioner Maphevu Mkhatjwa and a few others as his ‘boys’ to investigate individuals he perceive as his political enemies.
Jabu Phakathi, the ACC Spokesperson declined to comment about the matter when reached by this publication.
The investigators further alleged that,Mthethwa was tasked with investigating Auditor General(AG) Timothy Matsebula who compiled reports accusing the PM of failing to account for about R180million and R30million public funds respectively.
But before that, the Prime Minister declared the Office of the AG as incompetent saying reports compiled by the Office of the Auditor General cannot be relied on.
“The Anti Corruption Commission has been literally captured by the Prime Minister. Apart from the traveling allowances allocated to Mthethwa and a few investigators in the ‘pocket’ of the Prime Minister There’s money that comes from the Central Bank as cash for investigations, “siyibita ngemali yabhaki” and it is kept in a safe box with the ACC and it’s more than a million. Those investigators who are in the PM’s ‘pocket’ would sometimes take cash claiming to conducting investigations”, said one of the ACC investigators.
A questionnaire was sent to Thabile Mdluli,the Deputy Government Spokesperson,however, she declined to comment.
Reached for comments by this Swaziland News on Wednesday, Mandla Luphondvo, the Central Bank of Eswatini(CBE) Head of Strategy and Communications said, the ACC and Central Bank work independently and have their own budgets.
“Even though the operations of the bank are too wide and I wouldn’t know this particular matter if indeed happened but,to the best of my knowledge, the ACC and the Central Bank are both independent with different mandates and have their own budgets”, said the ACC Head of Strategy and Communications.
Responding to this Swaziland News earlier,human rights lawyer Sibusiso Nhlabatsi said, the ACC should not be weaponized against individuals but the institution “is expected to operate” within or in line with the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
“The ACC is expected to be independent and operate within the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, they have the power to investigate even the very same Prime Minister not to report to him”, said the lawyer.
Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini has been in the media for wrong reasons after being appointed by King Mswati, he declared the Office of the Auditor General(AG) incompetent and soon thereafter, the Anti Corruption Commission(ACC) was ‘hot on the heels’ of the AG.
Prime Minister Russell Dlamini(supplied).