Port Elizabeth – Murder accused Christopher Panayiotou’s lawyers on Friday accused his ex-employee of “significantly downplaying” his relationship with State witness Luthando Siyoni, the man allegedly hired to arrange the killing of the Uitenhage businessman’s wife.
Mawonga Ndedwa, was employed by the Panyaiotou’s since 2012 and was subsequently fired during February this year for stealing 11 bottles of whisky and other “disciplinary charges”.
He testified on the eighth day in the murder trial against Panayiotou and his two co-accused, Sinethemba Nenembe and Zolani Sibeko in the Port Elizabeth High Court.
The men are accused of kidnapping and killing Panayiotou’s wife Jayde in April 2015. Ndedwa alleges that Panayiotou used his personal cellphone to call Siyoni, who was a bouncer at Panayiotou’s Infinity nightclub.
Advocate Terry Price highlighted that there were 27 calls made between Ndedwa and Siyoni’s cell phone numbers, two weeks prior to Jayde’s disappearance.
Ndedwa refuted ever calling Siyoni and told the court he would only speak to Siyoni when he saw him at Panayiotou’s Infinity nightclub.
However Price told him that he was downplaying the relationship and the pair would often “enjoy brandy specials” together at the club.
Ndedwa denied this and said he went to the Infinity nightclub for his “own business” and not to talk to Siyoni.
The State alleges Panayiotou paid Siyoni, a bouncer from his Infinity nightclub, to hire hitman Sizwezakhe Vumazonke to kidnap and kill his schoolteacher wife, Jayde.
The State also alleges that Nenembe assisted Vumazonke to kidnap and murder Jayde at the behest of her husband. Vumazonke has since passed away while in custody at St Albans Prison.
After being driven to a remote area on the outskirts of Kwanobuhle, where the alleged murder was committed, the State alleges that Vumazonke fired two shots through Jayde’s back and a final shot through her head.
Sibeko was the last person to be arrested, 15 months after the murder. He has apparently been linked to the crime through cellphone mapping, which allegedly shows him being present outside Jayde’s Stellen Glen complex in the days before her murder. However, his alleged role in the events leading up to the murder are still unclear.
Panayiotou, Nenembe, and Sibeko are facings charges of conspiracy to commit murder, murder, kidnapping, and robbery with aggravating circumstances. Panayiotou is also facing an additional charge of defeating or obstructing the course of justice. They have all pleaded not guilty.
The trial continues on Monday.
African News Agency