Africa-Press – Eswatini. Percy Simelane, the King’s Spokesperson has come out to clarify that, “SwaziPharm Director Kareem Ashraff who stands accused of looting billions of public funds is not in any way, enjoying protection from the Monarch and therefore, must be arrested if he committed a crime not to hide behind royalty to evade justice”.
The King’s Spokesperson said, King Mswati made it clear that all those who allegedly looted public funds resulting in the shortage of drugs in public hospitals, must be arrested adding that Kareem Ashraff cannot therefore, be treated like a holy cow.
“We have no record of the King protecting anyone from being arrested by the police. All we have is records of perceptions to the effect that there are blue-eyed persons the King has made untouchable. Our experience is that Princes have been locked up, charged and sentenced but the king did not intervene. We therefore have no reasons to believe that the businessman in question is a holly cow. He is deeply concerned about drugs shortage of medication in public hospitals. You will recall that he took over kinship at a time when HIV/ AIDS had just shown its ugly head globally. He personally fundraised through what was known as The King’s Trust Music Festivals to make ARVs available for free in our hospitals. He wants these shortages to end but playing his cards closer to the chest as the Ministry of Health tries to exhaust every possibility to nip the challenge from the bud”, said the King’s Spokesperson.
But Kareem Ashraff, the influential, powerful and politically connected businessman who collapsed the health system by looting billions of public funds, allegedly used his financial muscle to evade justice by capturing the Head of the Judiciary.
As a result, the Anti Corruption Commission(ACC) and the Director of Public Prosecutions(DPP) filed a warrant of arrest application that was rejected by Ashraff’s alleged close friend, Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala.
But apart from that, Kareem Ashraff allegedly captured State institutions including the police, courts, army, State controlled media, some Cabinet Ministers and other key institutions.
It has been disclosed that, Lomvula Hlophe, the ‘no-nonsense’ Acting DPP is vigorously working towards filing an appeal against the dismissed warrant of arrest application as Ashraff attempts to evade justice.
But the attempt to arrest Ashraff comes after a series of investigative articles published, the articles that exposed the multibillion looting, subsequently triggered subsequent investigations by Parliament, the Office of the Auditor General and the law enforcement agencies.
The DPP in collaboration with the Anti Corruption Commission managed to obtain evidence suggesting that, the politically connected businessman of Indonesian origin, allegedly used his alternative company, AvaPharm(Pty) Ltd to loot about R1billion, the money was allocated for the purchasing of AntiretroViral(ARVs).
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