Africa-Press – Eswatini. Senator Isaac Magagula,the former National Commissioner of Police allegedly assisted the then Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini to evade arrest for alleged corruption.
The arrest against Barnabas was allegedly plotted by King Mswati, the late Chief Justice Michael Ramodibedi and the then Justice Minister Sibusiso Shongwe at Lozitha Palace and this was after Shongwe presented some documents to Mswati substantiating that, the then PM was allegedly engaged in corruption.
Justice Minister Sibusiso Shongwe allegedly rushed to the King to accuse Barnabas of corruption after a serious fallout in Cabinet.
It has been disclosed that, after analyzing the documents, the King gave Ramodibedi and Shongwe a go ahead to facilitate the Prime Minister’s arrest, the documents were linking the late PM to the looting of the R500million public funds in the Sicunusa-Nhlangano Road tender and other State projects.
A warrant of arrest was then issued by the late Chief Justice while the Prime Minister was outside the country however, Senator Isaac Magagula who was working on contract as the National Commissioner, allegedly refused to arrest the PM but instead, he informed him that Justice Minister Sibusiso Shongwe as he then was, and the Chief Justice colluded to issue a warrant of arrest and that, he was to be arrested at the Oshoek Boarder Gate.
Intelligence information suggests that,the late PM drove straight to Lozitha to meet King Mswati who allegedly betrayed Shongwe and Ramodibedi and denied ever issuing an order directing the CJ to issue a warrant of arrest against the Prime Minister.
An investigation uncovered that, the Prime Minister subsequently used the Anti Corruption Commission(ACC) to investigate both the then Justice Minister Sibusiso Shongwe and the late Chief Justice and as a result, a payment of R2million alleged bribe from Impunzi Investment was found to have been deposited in Shongwe’s lawfirm and the money was an alleged bribe seeking to influence a judgement in a matter between the then Swaziland Revenue Authority(SRA) and Impunzi Investment.
On the weekend of 17th April 2015 the then Prime Minister subsequently drove to Lozitha Palace again together with the then SRA Commissioner General Dumsani Masilela and Board members that include Sthofeni Ginindza to convince the King that, Shongwe and Ramodibedi must be arrested as the judgement in favour of Impunzi will collapse the SRA and force Government to refund some taxpayers.
The King allegedly approved the arrests and this time, National Commissioner Isaac Magagula did not obstruct the arrest, he acted swiftly and arrested Shongwe while the late CJ locked himself inside the Judges Complex in fear of being arrested.
King Mswati’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane confirmed knowledge of what was rumored as a warrant of arrest but clarified that, the King was not involved as he had a strong relationship with Barnabas.
“I have no reasons to think the King could have thought of getting the former Prime Minister arrested.I was Government Spokesman then and worked closely with both.Their working relationship was too strong to be marred by mistrust. When the warrant of arrest in question was rumoured, the name of the King was not mentioned. Instead other reasons were circulating suggesting that the then CJ had scores to settle with former Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini. Actually, the CJ in question was dismissed mainly for his flare to use his position to settle scores with those he deemed hostile towards him,” said the King’s Spokesperson.
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