By Musa Mdluli

MBABANE:The Anti Corruption Commission(ACC) filed a fresh application for a warrant of arrest against SwaziPharm Director Kareem Ashraff this week but, some investigators expressed fears that, Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala might first alert him to escape even before the signing of the warrant.

As a result, a high level meeting between ACC investigators and some prosecutors from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions(DPP) was held this week to discuss a way forward.

Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala, an alleged close friend of the SwaziPharm Director, dismissed a warrant of arrest application this week citing lack of evidence but the Anti Corruption Commission subsequently filed a fresh application.

“Inkinga utawusuke abaleke amtjele lomngani wakhe kutsi sesisayinile warrant baleka!”, said an ACC investigator in one of the meetings.

It was allegedly suggested during the meeting that, Ashraff must be arrested and be kept in custody on a holding charge pending the warrant of arrest application.

A holding charge is a “charge against a criminal suspect to keep him/her in custody while investigations or other legal proceedings on a similar or a separate matter continue.

Efforts to seek a comment from ACC Spokesperson Jabu Phakathi proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report.

But Kareem Ashraff ran to the Times of Eswatini to deny any wrongdoing in the multibillion drugs shortage scandal, hundreds of emSwati have died since the health crisis erupted.

But Auditor General(AG) Timothy Matsebula released a press statement maintaining that, drugs amounting to over R30million were not delivered but the money was paid by the eSwatini Government.