By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE: Jeremy Liang, the Taiwan Ambassador has colluded with SwaziPharm Director Kareem Ashraff in an alleged highly corrupted deal to construct the now controversial R5.2billion Strategic Oil Reserve project.

An independent investigation conducted by this Swaziland News uncovered that, the Taiwan Ambassador and Ashraff allegedly abused their powers and proximity to His Majesty King Mswati to bully Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the Eswatini National Petroleum Company (ENPC) Nhlanhla Dlamini and the then Board of Directors led by Muzi ‘MA’ Dlamini.

it is alleged that, the intention was to sideline a company that had agreed to construct the Oil Reserve for R2.2billion in favour of their preferred Taiwan linked company-CECI Engineering Consultants that inflated the price to R5.2billion.

In October 2024, during a workshop for Members of Parliament(MPs) held in Pigg’s Peak, Nhlanhla Dlamini, the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the Eswatini National Petroleum Company told the MPs that, Taiwan was seeking to take over the project despite the fact that, as the Board and Management, they have identified a company that agreed to construct the Oil Reserves with R2.2billion.

“Government is engaging Taiwan on the same project and as the situation stands, we have two(2) prices R2.2billion and R5.2billion”, said the Chief Executive Officer.

Nkomiyahlaba MP Mduduzi Dlamini urged MPs to vigorously prevent Taiwan from taking over the project to protect public funds.

“As MPs,we must do what is best for emaSwati not a few individuals”, he said. 

Other MPs expressed concern that, a company from Taiwan will walk away with R5.2billion public funds when there’s another company that was engaged for the same project at R2.2billion.

But despite those concerns from the MPs, Government went on to sign an agreement this month with CECI Engineering Consultants for the R5.2billion project and this, was after King Mswati ordered Natural Resources Minister Prince Lonkhokhela “to ensure that, the agreement is signed”.

It has been disclosed that,the Taiwan linked corporate entity-CECI Engineering Consultants is actually not new in ‘grabbing’ tenders in the country through alleged corrupt means and, according to findings of an investigation conducted by this publication, the company has been secretly working with Kareem Ashraff’s companies even during the construction of the Royal Science and Technology Park(RSTP) where millions of public funds were allegedly looted.

In fact, documents obtained by this publication suggest that, Kareem Ashraff through his corporate entities, “is an alleged close ally of the Taiwan Ambassador through the alleged links with CECI Engineering Consultants, the relationship between the two(2) “is of alleged corrupt nature” as they both have control over the eSwatini Government affairs and King Mswati.

Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo declined to comment about the signing of the agreement.

But apart from the R5.2billion Strategic Oil Reserve, the Taiwan linked CECI Engineering Consultants was awarded the construction of the R1billion Central Bank of Eswatini(CBE) tender as confirmed by Governor Dr Phil Mnisi during a press conference, other deserving construction companies owned by emaSwati were sidelined.

“We have engaged CECI Engineering Consultants and the construction is expected to commence in June 2025”, said the Central Bank Governor.

With the R5.2billion already committed by the eSwatini Government through an agreement, this means the Tawain company with links to Kareem Ashraff, an alleged friend to Ambassador Jeremy Liang, has within five(5) years, secured tenders worth about R10billion in eSwatini without a fair and transparent tendering process.

It is alleged that, both Kareem Ashraff and Taiwan Ambassador Jeremy Liang, are likely to share the money of the R5.2billion project with King Mswati who “is closer to them receiving a share as well.

But the process to award the Taiwanese company the R5.2billion Strategic Oil Reserve deal has been a traceable journey.

On around 31st January 2024,Jeremy Liang, the Taiwan Ambassador held a meeting with Natural Resources Minister Prince Lonkhokhela, the meeting that was also attended by other Taiwan Embassy officials took place in Mbabane and, was meant to discuss the now controversial project.

It has been disclosed that, another meeting was then held about two(2) weeks and this time, the meeting as to facilitate the signing of the agreement as per the King’s order.

King’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane,when responding to this Swaziland News on the subject matter clarified that, there’s nothing wrong with Taiwan taking over the project.

“We are aware of the project in question.We want to believe the King was sufficiently informed about its logistics,including the tender awarding process which is normally done away from the Head of State.It could have been a company from another country,but this time,it's a Taiwanese contractor.We have no reasons to suspect there could be problems with that”, said the King Spokesperson.

Both Kareem Ashraff and Taiwan Ambassador declined to comment about the matter.

It has been disclosed that, the alleged corrupt syndicate involving Swazipharm Director Kareem Ashraff and the Taiwan Ambassador intends to fund the project by lobbying Parliament to influence an increase in fuel tariffs.

As a result, thirty-five cents(35c) per-litre will be ‘stolen’ from the pockets of the taxpayers or members of the public to fund the now controversial and corrupted project.

Roger Tsai, the CECI Engineering Consultants Resident Engineer had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

A separate investigation conducted by this publication further uncovered that, over R400million has been collected by the Eswatini National Petroleum Company from the taxpayers’ pockets through a fuel levy, this amount will also fund the Strategic Oil Reserve project.

As a result of this alleged corrupted R5.2billion project,the price of petrol and diesel is highly expected to increase again in eSwatini, a country situated in Southern Africa where about 70% of the population leaves below the poverty line.

Velaphi Mamba, a highly regard eSwatini human rights defender has been accusing Taiwan of violating human rights, donating rice while looting the country’s resources.

“How is it that,Taiwan is a development country and is supposed to be supporting us but, Taiwan is giving us rice.Taiwan is not investing substantially in our economy.Taiwan is giving us substandard textile factory jobs where our sisters are underpaid and turned into slaves”, said the human rights defender when criticizing Government over the same R5.2billion Strategic Oil Reserve project that will dig deeper into the pockets of the majority of citizens living in poverty.

But despite the signing of the agreement between Government and CECI Engineering Consultants, Parliament is highly expected to debate the R5.2billion project as it involves public funds.

Reached for comments on Thursday evening, lawyer Sibusiso Nhlabatsi told this Swaziland News that, Parliament might struggle to stop the project if the agreement has been signed as doing so, the MPs might find themselves going against the King’s business interests.

“It might be difficult for Parliament to stop this project from a political and legal point of view. Our Parliament, if you read Section 106(a) of the Constitution it says the supreme legislative authority shall vests in the King in Parliament. So when you say, “the King in Parliament”, the next question is; who then makes Government?. The answer is simple; the King makes Government. So if Government has signed a deal with the Chinese people subject to the approval of Parliament, it means the King has already signed that deal and coming to Parliament, he is the Supreme Legislator. So there’s no way Parliament can stop this project except to make noise as the MPs usually do and raise concerns. They can raise those concerns but it doesn’t seem possible for them to stop this project,”said the lawyer.