The accused in the illegal gambling bust are facing a total of 168 charges.
This transpired during their appearance before the Mbabane Magistrate’s Court where they were joined by the illegal operation’s alleged kingpin Lyu Tao. Tao is suspected of orchestrating the entire operation involving the foreign nationals, who were recently arrested in Mbabane.
They all face two counts of contravening the Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (Prevention) Act after being found in possession of E708 000.
This they did knowing or having reason to believe that it was derived directly or indirectly from an act and/or omission in Eswatini, which constitutes an offence under Section 14 (2) (f) of the Immigration Act No. 17 of 1982.
They also face counts of contravening the Gaming Control Act No. 7 of 2022.
The charge sheet alleges that on or during the period between the months of February and March 2026 at or near Mbabane in the Hhohho region each or all of the accused acting jointly in furtherance of a common purpose, did unlawfully engage in any gaming event and/or contingency other than with a holder of a licence, who is permitted under a licence to engage in gaming on the event or contingency.
They further face 165 counts of contravening the Immigration Act.
The 85 accused were represented by attorney Linda Dlamini during the court proceedings.
During the session, the Crown informed the court that it intended to submit an amended charge sheet. The amended charge sheet reportedly indicated that the 85 accused were collectively facing 168 charges.
Dlamini raised concerns regarding the manner in which the prosecutor had handled the matter.
He stated that the defence had only received the charge sheet late on Tuesday afternoon, which had limited their ability to properly consult with the accused.
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“The accused have been ambushed in these proceedings.
“While the accused were remanded back to custody on Friday, we only received the charge sheet yesterday at around 4pm. This has limited our ability to take instructions from each one of them,” said Dlamini.
He further told the court that the defence would prefer to request an earlier date to address the matter instead of waiting until the following week.
However, Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi responded by explaining that the Crown had been unavailable on Monday, which made it impossible for the charge sheet to be provided earlier.
Following the submissions made, the Crown applied for the accused to remain in custody while investigations and preparations for trial continued.
The court granted the application, ordering that the 85 accused be remanded at the Sidwashini Correctional facility until March 26.
The next court appearance is expected to focus on further procedural matters, including the possible setting of a trial date.
Additional Context
Cases involving multiple accused and high charge counts often proceed in stages, beginning with procedural hearings before moving to trial. Charges under money laundering and immigration laws typically carry serious penalties if proven in court.
