3 ‘syndicate’ members arrested
MBABANE - The collaboration between community police members, Royal Eswatini Police Service(REPS) and soldiers has resulted in an arrest of an alleged syndicate wanted for armed robberies across the country.
The three members of the alleged syndicate were arrested shortly after robbing businessman of his cellphones and money at a gun and knife point in broad daylight at 1gwenya. The trio of 0andla µSpikiri¶ 'lamini of /ud]elud]e, %uthuel µSigwili¶ Hlatshwayo of 1yakatfo and 0]wakhe 0u]ikayifani 'lamini of /udlawini was arrested at 1gwenya. It was gathered that the trio was wanted for other armed robbery offences committed in some places such as 0nyokane, 3igg¶s 3eak and 1kambeni.
However, on the day of their arrest, it is said the trio ran into a thick forest next to the borderline, not knowing that two soldiers manning the borderline were watching them. Information gathered was to the effect that two members of the 8mbutfo Eswatini 'efence )orce 8E') collaborated with community members of the area and police officers who ran after the trio after the commission of the offence.
-uly 1dwandwe, one of the community police members, told the court that he received a call from the businessman while at 0otshane with another community police member 0fanukhona 'lamini.
He stated that the businessman informed him that he had been robbed of his cellphones and money by three men at gun and knife point while at his shop.
³I drove to the shop to see what had happened. 8pon arrival, I found people gathered around and I was told that the three men had Must disappeared, leaving a beer bottle in the shop. As we looked around, we saw the men running towards a thick forest next to the borderline,” 1dwandwe told the court.
He further stated that the men disappeared as they chased after them. At the time, he stated that they were with police officers who had swiftly arrived at the scene.
³As we searched for the trio, we heard a voice shouting from a distance. :e then saw two soldiers who told us that the men did not come out of the forest. They encouraged us to search for them as they kept a close eye. After having searched for several times, 0fanukhona called and informed us that he saw one Hlatshwayo lying in a gully,” he told the court.
1dwandwe stated that Hlatshwayo laid in the gully until he was pulled by the soldiers. He told the court that Hlatshwayo was locked in a police van before they continued with their search.
He told the court that while still searching, they heard the soldiers asking µSpikiri¶ why he was hiding, before bringing him to the police van. 1dwandwe told the court that Hlatshwayo complained stating that they were working with another accused who was driving a motor vehicle. It was 1dwandwe¶s evidence that Hlatshwayo shared that the driver had Must informed him that he was back in Eswatini after skipping the country.
Offence
He stated that Hlatshwayo further told them that there was a fourth accused who disappeared with the gun after the commission of the offence.
1dwandwe told the court that while still at the forest, Hlatshwayo received a call from 0]wakhe asking his whereabouts.
³0]wakhe told Hlatshwayo that he was hiding next to Atlas 0otors and reTuested him Hlatshwayo to meet him halfway so that they can leave. :e boarded the police van and proceeded to Atlas 0otors. As we drove through Hlatshwayo spotted a blue motor vehicle which was driven by 0]wakhe. 0]wakhe was taken into the police van while his motor vehicle was driven to the 1gwenya 3olice 3ost,” 1dwandwe told the court. 1dwandwe¶s statement was corroborated by 0fanukhona who told the court how the duo was caught in the gully before Hlatshwayo was called by 0]wakhe. 0fanukhona told the court that they overheard 0]wakhe telling Hlatshwayo that he was back in Eswatini after fleeing to South Africa. The witnesses told the court that Hlatshwayo confided that 0]wakhe was their boss who picked them from their hiding spot after committing crimes.
However, during cross-examination, Hlatshwayo denied having committed the offence. He denied the description given by the witnesses. Hlatshwayo was identified by dreadlocks, however, he told the court that he never had dreadlocks as alleged by the witnesses. He stated that he had better descriptions that could even be given by a five-year-old child.
³I have a visible tattoo and a scar for a better description. I am not the person you claim to have identified in the gully. It is my first time to meet you here,” submitted Hlatshwayo. Hlatshwayo further pointed out some inconsistencies in the statements recorded by the duo, stating that some of the information revealed during evidence in chief was omitted in the statements.
He also challenged the witnesses on the gun, knife and the beer bottle allegedly used during the commission of the offence. ³ ³&an a suspect Must reveal crucial information after arrest" I don¶t think a suspect can give police such crucial information,” he submitted. 0]wakhe, on the other hand, had no Tuestions during cross-examination. It should be noted that µSpikiri¶disappeared after he was granted bail, resulting in the &rown applying for a separation of trial. The fourth suspect who is alleged to have escaped with the gun is also still on the run. The matter will be back to court for continuation on September , for continuation.