By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE:Dennis Mbingo, the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the First National Bank(FNB) Eswatini has won three hundred and fifty thousand Rands(R350,000.00) after being defamed by the The Bridge online publication.

The judgement was delivered by High Court Judge Kontaphi Manzini this month and, it comes subsequent to an application filed by the CEO for alleged defamation after being accused by the online publication of sleeping or having sex with employees of the bank.

“The Plaintiff is not only the Chief Executive Officer of the First National Bank, which is one of the biggest banks in this country’s banking industry, but he is also a member of the Board of Directors of the bank. He is also the head of a highly regulated entity within the banking industry, and his reputation and that of the bank which he heads are very important to the society at large.This is the case because not only the citizenry is likely to be affected, but also the Nation’s economy because it is reliant on the stability of this industry. Certainly, any hint of a bank being run by a sexual predator, or one who employs people based on his own sexual inclinations is highly undesirable, and does not auger well for the banking that he heads”, reads the judgement in part.

The FNB CEO was represented by Musa Sibandze Attorneys while there was no appearance for The Bridge.

The court ordered the online publication and/or journalist Mancoba Mabuza who was cited as the Second Defendant, to pay the said amount to the FNB Chief Executive Officer as compensation for the defamation.