A senior police officer “strongly denies” her evidence was “unreliable” as she testified in the criminal trial of former provincial commissioner Arno Lamoer and his four co-accused in the Western Cape High Court.
Former Goodwood police station commissioner Hansia Hansraj testified as a State witness against Lamoer, Darius van der Ross, Sharon and Kolindren Govender, and Mohamed Dawjee, who all face over 100 charges of
fraud and corruption.
Yesterday, Saleem Halday, representing Van der Ross, put it to Hansraj: “Your evidence is unreliable because during cross-examination you were argumentative, at times
evasive.
“At some occasions pointed out, you changed your version on certain aspects.”
But Hansraj denied Halday’s claims: “There were instances (when) new facts were mentioned to me, issues raised for the first time, I had to respond. Issues raised warranted me to explain further.
“Otherwise, I am accepting ‘yes’ and ‘no’ answers.”
Halday also pointed out “mistakes” made by Hansraj.
But she replied: “I have been here a few days already. If there were mistakes, there was no malice intended. I stand firmly by my points raised.”
She also testified that Kolindren Govender told her that “Dawjee is a mad man, don’t get involved” when she asked him whether she should attend a breakfast the businessman had invited her to.
Jacques Lourens, acting as counsel for Govender, asked Hansraj whether it was tea or a breakfast that Dawjee had invited her to as, according to Lourens, the accused was not aware of any breakfast.
Lourens asked: “Are you aware Dawjee and Govender are related, they are cousins?
“You asked Govender if you should go, he said you are
from the area, maybe you should go.”
Hansraj testified that Lourens’s second statement was untrue, and that she was also unaware that Govender and Dawjee were related.
“How are they cousins, did they become cousins after the corruption inquiry?”
she asked.