Africa-Press – Eswatini. Police investigations have revealed that over E84 million was fraudulently taken from over 2 000 by Sukke Ontime Investments.
After a two-and-half-year investigation, it has been revealed that the modus operandi of Sukke Ontime Investments was to allegedly lure members of the public to purchase photocopiers from the company as an investment. The aspiring investors were to be paid monthly rentals for the photocopier, while Sukke Ontime Investments would be responsible for managing, servicing and supplying toner and paper for the machines.
Investigations by the police revealed that were no such photocopier machines, instead the directors of the company deceived the members of the public for self-enrichment. The detailed information about how members of the public were allegedly swindled by the Director of the company, Machawe Gama, is contained in an application to seize some of his property in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crimes Act (POCA) of 2018.
Properties
The immovable properties, which the State seeks to preserve in terms of POCA, include a piece of land in Dalriach (Mbabane), residential home situated at Lubhuku, his home situated in the Lubombo Region and a black BMW 7 series. It is believed that all these properties are proceeds of the monies Gama, through his company, unlawfully took from the unsuspecting members of the public.
In the application to preserve the properties, the court was told that the police and the liquidator discovered that Gama had in fact sold to innocent third parties most of the cars, which were reasonably believed to be proceeds of criminal activities. Investigations revealed that change of ownership of the cars was long effected. In his affidavit, the investigator of the case, Detective Mhlonishwa Sibandze, narrated to the court that on December 9, 2021, a suspected case of money laundering was reported at the Manzini Regional Police Headquarters under enquiry file number 740/2021.
Investigations
He submitted that as soon as the case was opened, intensive investigations were conducted by the Financial and Asset Forfeiture Investigations Unit, well known as Police POCA Unit. Sibandze submitted that the police then liased with the liquidator of Sukke Ontime, Kobla Quashie and requested to view the liquidation file for purposes of furthering their investigations.
“Upon perusal of the file police found out that the victims were over 2 000 in number. Some of them were traced and located. They were interviewed and they confirmed the fraud case perpetrated by the second respondent (Gama) through his company, the first respondent (Sukke Ontime Investments),” submitted the investigator.
He highlighted that through the alleged fraud, the victims suffered prejudice ranging between E14 485 to El 500 per machine. According to the investigator, some of the victims paid cash, while others would do electronic fund transfers to the company’s (first respondent) bank accounts. “All of them would then go to the nearest company’s office, where they would be furnished with receipts, shown their photocopying machines in catalogues, some shown only the serial numbers and made to sign agreement forms. The located victims recorded affidavits with the police,” said Sibandze.
He related to the court that as soon as the victims were located and confirmed the case, the police applied for court orders requesting opening of documentations and bank statements of the company. The bank, according to the investigator, provided the police with the documents, which basically confirmed the fraud allegations as a lot of deposits and swift withdrawals were observed in the bank accounts. He highlighted that, the way in which the accounts disposed of the funds so soon after receipt, appeared unusual and suspicious. He stated that investigations were to the effect that the money paid in cash was taken by Gama. Sibandze said the money would first be received by the office administrator of Sukke Ontime Investments and then taken to Gama.
“It is not known though how much cash was taken to Gama as the police largely depended on the funders who were swindled their money for this crucial information. He mentioned that Gama destroyed or removed documentation in their offices, after the investors discovered that they had been scammed around September 2019. According to the police, Gama was now a person of interest to them as he needed to answer, among other charges, to alleged tax evasion and money laundering. He is alleged to have left the country after learning that he was wanted by the law enforcers.
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