Witness denies financial losses

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Doctor Genchen Ragnath and his wife Ravina. Picture: Sandile Makhoba

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Durban - A receptionist at an alleged Durban brothel has denied her bank account has “significantly deteriorated”after a raid on the Point area establishment brought the sex trade there to a halt.

State witness Dudu Yvonne Shinga testified she had three bank accounts, including an FNB account which had a balance of R56 000 at the end of March last year.

The Inn Town Lodge, owned by uMhlanga couple Dr Genchen Rugnath and his wife Ravina, was raided by the police in February 2012.

The couple and three other accused - Sandile Zweni, Nduduzo Dlamini and Bhabha Dubazani - have pleaded not guilty to a total of 156 charges, including racketeering, trafficking, rape and assault, at the Durban Regional Court.

The State alleges that Rugnath, who has a practice in Woodview, Phoenix, and his wife controlled the property.

It is alleged that Zweni would book several rooms at a time for women, minors included, who lived in the basement of the hotel.

The women were allegedly guarded by Dlamini and Dubazani.

Rugnath, in his plea explanation, denied any knowledge of the brothel and claims he had left the running of the inn entirely to his manager, Veena Budhram.

On Friday, Shinga told the court that her current balance in the FNB account was about R1 000. She denied claims by Rugnath’s lawyer, Anand Nepaul, that the reason her balance had dwindled was because she was no longer benefiting from illegal activities.

Shinga said the account, opened for her daughter, received deposits from her brother and mother. After they died, in May and June 2011, her uncle made monthly deposits into the account.

After insisting she never withdrew money from the account, she eventually conceded she used some of the money to pay for school fees and transport. The trial resumes in June.

rizwana.umar@inl.co.za

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