Trust wants money back from Luthuli

THE Royal Household Trust – whose funds were allegedly abused by its former chief executive Nkululeko Luthuli – says it would not pursue any criminal charges against him but would instead try to recoup some of its money from him.

Judge Jerome Ngwenya, the chairman of the board of the Royal Household Trust, said yesterday the entity would not charge Luthuli criminally.

According to an internal memo of the board, irregular expenditure incurred by the trust due to Luthuli’s failure to observe proper procedures amounted to more than R3 million.

The Royal Household Trust was established in 2009 to provide support to King Goodwill Zwelithini and to look for in- vestment opportunities to make the monarchy self sustaining.

Luthuli, grandson of former ANC president Albert Luthuli, is accused of abusing funds for personal benefit.

Luthuli, appointed trust CEO in 2010, was suspended in February but resigned this month while still facing a litany of internal charges relating to financial misconduct.

The DA welcomed that the trust would try to recoup the funds saying that this would go a long way towards addressing problems facing the institution including over-expenditure.

“The Board needs to ensure that targets are set and then met and begin developing an entity which is self-sustaining and profitable...,” DA provincial leader, Sizwe Mchunu, said.

Attempts to reach Luthuli for comment failed as his phone rang unanswered and he also did not reply to SMSes.