Audio By Carbonatix
The wife of South Africa's intelligence minister has been arrested on drug-dealing charges.
Sheryl Cwele, the 50-year-old wife of Siyabonga Cwele, appeared in court charged with conspiring to bring cocaine into the country.
Mrs Cwele was charged with procuring a woman to collect drugs in Turkey and of getting another woman to smuggle cocaine from Brazil.
She remains in custody until her bail application is heard in a week.
Mrs Cwele is facing the charges with Frank Nabolis, a Nigerian national arrested in South Africa in December.
She said told local media she was innocent.
Husband unaware
Sheryl Cwele's arrest followed that of Tessa Beetge, a South African woman arrested in Brazil in 2008 9.2kg (22lb) of cocaine inside her luggage.
Beetge was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Newspaper reports linked Mrs Cwele to Beetge, before she took leave in December from her job as director for health and community services at the Hibiscus Coast Municipality.
She returned to work on Thursday, and was arrested at her office on Friday before appearing at Pietermaritzburg High Court.
The National Prosecuting Authority in South Africa said Mrs Cwele faced one count of dealing in dangerous dependency-producing drugs and two counts of incitement to dealing in dangerous dependency-producing drugs, dating back to May and June 2008.
Her husband told a local newspaper he had no knowledge of his wife's alleged drug dealings.
Source: BBC
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
DVLA warns against fake SMS traffic fines and fraudulent payment links
8 minutes -
Asafo Market traders, drivers appeal to KMA over recurring flooding
16 minutes -
Mahama’s approval rating drops to 58.9% but majority of Ghanaians still back him — IEA poll
17 minutes -
Veep welcomes Mahama home after UK, Belarus visits
25 minutes -
Tribute book “IMPRESSIONS” launched in honour of KNUST’s Prof. Ibok Oduro
31 minutes -
Joy Prime TV to broadcast World Cup 2026 matches
32 minutes -
Northern Region leaders back Ghana vaccine production plan but raise quality and access concerns
35 minutes -
Ghana’s economy expands by 6.4% in Q1 of 2026, driven by Services and Mining
40 minutes -
CSIR soil scientist warns imported fertilisers may be degrading Ghana’s farmlands
42 minutes -
KATH OPD resumes full operations after suspension of doctors’ strike
46 minutes -
Ahmad Tea announces Antoine Semenyo as Global Brand Ambassador
48 minutes -
Tarkwa-Nsuaem NPP elections halted by Sekondi High Court over injunction application
49 minutes -
Ghana’s unemployment pegged at 13.1%, inequality at 43.5%
50 minutes -
GMet warns of heightened flood risk in Accra as June rainfall projected to intensify
53 minutes -
Tension at Afari Military Hospital as soldiers block Minority MPs’ inspection of abandoned facility
57 minutes