Pretoria - A Pretoria geologist arranged his ex-wife's funeral hours after her body was discovered, the High Court in Pretoria heard on Wednesday.
Cobus Prinsloo is accused of hiring his gardener to murder his ex-wife, Cordelia.
Cordelia's sister Angie le Roux told the court the family was surprised to learn her sister was still on her former husband's funeral policy and that he had already arranged the burial.
Prinsloo pleaded not guilty to the murder. He denied claims by Cordelia's self-confessed killer, gardener Lucas Moloi, that Prinsloo had offered him R50 000 and a house to murder his ex-wife.
Moloi is presently serving a jail sentence of 18 years. He admitted hitting Cordelia twice on the back of the head with a shovel and burying her body in a flower bed.
Le Roux testified the couple continued sharing a smallholding after their acrimonious divorce, even though they both obtained protection orders against each other.
She knew they were arguing about the division of the estate, but her sister had seemed happy the last time she saw her alive, saying she and her attorney had convinced Prinsloo to reach a settlement.
Le Roux said it was general knowledge her sister and Prinsloo did not get along. Her sister had told her she had stipulated in her will that if something happened to her, Prinsloo and his family should not be allowed to be at her funeral.
Le Roux said they still did not know what happened to her sister's ashes.
“It's as if she never even existed.”
She testified Prinsloo had not allowed her to pack her sister's belongings. They had her sister's safe opened, but it was empty and all of her personal documents had disappeared.
Her sister used to joke that she kept her office in the boot of her car, but her car had been broken into and every scrap of paper removed.
Le Roux said she later found out that Prinsloo's auditor had a copy of Cordelia's will, and she later saw a copy of the will when police found her laptop.
The trial continues. - Sapa