By Musa Mdluli

MBABANE:The Eswatini Revenue Authority(ERS) has consistently maintained that,it was not, in any way, responsible or behind the ongoing grabbing of multimillion properties belonging to businessman Lucky Ngubane’s including trucks.

The revenue authority contacted the editor of this Swaziland News Zweli Martin Dlamini on Wednesday morning, notifying him about an intention to release a statement, denying the allegations leveled against the revenue institution by the Pigg’s Peak based businessman.

This comes after Ngubane confirmed to this publication that, his properties were being grabbed by ERS, the revenue institution had earlier opened a criminal case against the businessman, accusing him of owing over R100million tax.

Ngubane was arrested, charged with tax evasion and, subsequently released by the court on his own recognizance.

But apart from the press statement, senior Directors of the Eswatini Revenue Service told the editor that, Ngubane’s properties might be grabbed by others in relation to his other loans as “the ERS has not yet started” to attach his properties.

“We feel we must clarify this because the name of the revenue institution is being dragged into the mud, we haven’t started attaching his properties,” said a senior Director within ERS.

Ngubane confirmed to this publication that, the revenue authority was responsible or behind the ongoing grabbing of his properties adding that, before the arrest, he held a series of meeting trying to negotiate with the revenue service.

The businessman said, one of Montigny Investments Directors even tried to assist him financially but, it later transpired that, the amount demanded by ERS was too high.