By Bahle Gama
Thobile Princess Motsa the woman who allegedly used Inkhosikati LaFogiyane’s name for fraudulent acts had her bail application opposed by the state.
Due to the High Court being on break, Motsa’s bail hearing will be on May 28, and this is news that was not well received by the suspect as she broke down in court upon hearing such.
Despite hiding herself with a hoodie and a face mask, Motsa could not hold back from tearing and visibly wiped tears from her face.
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Motsa allegedly used the Inkhosikati’s name when she purportedly committed acts of fraud and unlawfully landed herself as a civil servant and a government house.
When she was arrested, Motsa made her maiden court appearance at the Mbabane Magistrates Court on Tuesday before moving her bail application to the High Court on Wednesday.
According to her charge sheet, the 39-year-old is alleged to have misrepresented to the Ministry of Public Service on January 31 that Inkhosikati LaFogiyane had directed that a Deputy Prime Minister’s Office employee identified as Skhumbuzo Rudolph Sukati allocate Motsa a government house at Mbangweni.
On March 10 she allegedly went to defraud the Ministry of Home Affairs, and Immigration department that Inkhosikati LaFogiyane had directed that Motsa be furnished with an international passport.
Furthermore, on April 12 she allegedly misrepresented to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) that the Inkhosikati had directed that she be employed as an Assistant Immigration Officer at the Ministry of Home Affairs.
In her bail application, she stated that she would plead not guilty to all the charges and does not believe the respective Ministries she is alleged to have duped could not have been easily made to believe that one of the Emakhosikati would issue such directives.
“I know that the government of Eswatini has the necessary systems to safeguard all procedures relating to the allocation of houses, issuing of passports, and recruitment.
Therefore, it would be absurd that all ministries and commissions would act on the instruction of one of their Royal Highnesses,” she submitted.
Motsa said there was a misunderstanding and reiterated that she did not commit the alleged offences hence the plea of not guilty she intends to make.
She told the court that she is a mother of two children, two and five years old respectively whom she resides with at Mbangweni.
She submitted that she is responsible for their day-to-day upkeep and must stay with them because their father works in Manzini.
“As is a common cause, schools are closed, there will be no one taking care of the children in my absence. I am also employed and must report to work,” she submitted.
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Motsa told the court that she is also a sickly person who suffers from severe asthma and sinuses as well as being anaemic and relies on medication, therefore her continued incarceration will only lead to a deterioration of her health to the prejudice of her children.
She further stated that the alleged offence charged with is not a violent one, it is fraud and therefore she does not present a threat to any person.
“My stature is not intimidating or threatening. As alleged in the charges, I did not commit a violent crime and there are no other persons involved.
It cannot therefore be suggested that I harbour resentment against any person as there is no past conduct that presents such an impression,” she stated.
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Motsa stated that she does not deny that fraud is prevalent, but she did not commit any fraud for all the documents necessary for the allocation of a house, issuance of an international passport, and employment as an assistant immigration officer were submitted by the relevant authorities.
She further stated that any bail amount that will be set by the court will be substantial to her and cannot evade trial and leave behind the bail amount in the government coffers.
“I have also just found employment after years of getting three months’ contract jobs,” she submitted.
Motsa will return to court on April 26 before Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi where she will be remanded back to police custody to return on June 3 for trial.
