Cape Town - The Cape Town woman who allegedly tried to take out a contract on her husband allegedly paid a hitman R200 000 to do the job.
Police say businesswoman Petina Coetzee, 44, asked one of her own employees to carry out the hit.
But the man apparently reported her to police, who nabbed her in a sting operation.
The Kenilworth mom of three, who is out on R30 000 bail, made a brief appearance in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court on Friday where she is facing a charge of conspiring to commit murder.
The police investigation into the matter was almost complete, State advocate Christiaan de Jongh said.
It is believed the Kenilworth mom approached one of her workers to arrange a hit on her husband, Austin Coetzee, 67.
In October, Coetzee made headlines when cops caught her red-handed, handing an alleged hitman an undisclosed amount of money in the parking lot of the Lansdowne railway station.
At the time, police spokeswoman Noloyiso Rwexana said: “Fortunately, swift action by detectives prevented the assassination of the would-be victim and his 44-year-old wife was arrested.”
The couple has been married for nine years and has a three-year-old son together.
Coetzee also has two older sons, aged 16 and 20, who live with the couple at their home in Kenilworth.
Austin’s lawyer, Geoff Carstens previously said his client, a retired businessman, was “distressed” by the incident as they had a “happy marriage”.
Coetzee runs a company that takes identity document photos outside the Home Affairs office in the city.
Her husband is a retired manager who previously worked at a well-known petroleum company.
Police and prosecutors have yet to reveal what the motive behind the alleged planned hit is, while sources close to the suspect claim she was being abused.
Coetzee’s bail conditions include reporting to the Elsies River Police Station on a daily basis.
She handed over her passport and needs written permission to leave the Western Cape.
Advocate De Jongh said the State would request a date for a pre-trial hearing at the Western Cape High Court on completion of the police’s investigations.
Coetzee’s lawyer, Edward Mccallum, said he would procure a psychological report on his client, ahead of her next court appearance on January 17.