By Caryn Dolley
More than a month before hearing that his business partner was planning to have him killed, a City Bowl Armed Response director filed a fraud complaint against his partner with police.
Investigating officer Mike Barkhuizen told this on Monday to the Cape Town Magistrate's Court, where Grant Smith, the security company's chief operations officer, and his mistress of two years, Joanne Neethling, were applying for bail.
The state is opposing bail.
Smith was also facing fraud charges in three cases relating to UIF contributions paid through the company, Barkhuizen said.
On October 1, by agreement, the company's director, Alan Kusevitsky, and Smith took out insurance policies on each other's lives. If Smith died, Kusevitsky was to collect R7-million, and if Kusevitsky died, Smith would be paid R3m.
Soon after, Kusevitsky filed a complaint with police about the misappropriation of funds.
On October 27, after receiving "doctored bank statements", he confronted Smith about these. Smith had touched his firearm, threatened Kusevitsky and later that day filed an assault complaint against him, Barkhuizen said, repeating Kusevitsky's statements to him.
On November 24, one of the company's security guards warned Kusevitsky that Smith and Neethling were planning his murder, Barkhuizen said.
Investigating the claim, Barkhuizen instructed a police officer to call Neethling and tell her that a man called "Boebie" had told him she wanted someone murdered. The undercover officer left his number with her.
This officer met Neethling on December 3 and told her the "job" would cost R30 000, half to be paid immediately and the rest after the murder.
The next day Neethling, again in her work clothes and using a City Bowl Armed Response car, met the first undercover officer and another, a woman, at a prearranged spot in Bree Street, where she handed over money. Barkhuizen arrested her.
Barkhuizen said the woman undercover officer handed him a white envelope given to her from Neethling that contained R15 000 cash and a company photograph of Kusevitsky.
Smith was one of only two people who had access to the photograph, Barkhuizen said.
Five days later, he arrested Smith at the Kenilworth Clinic. Smith had booked himself in two days earlier with depression.
Neethling had confessed to her part in the plot, he said.
He said she had granted sexual favours to a state witness whom she tried to "manipulate into helping her find hit men".
Barkhuizen said Smith had been convicted of fraud and theft 23 years ago.
He said Neethling had been in a relationship with Smith despite knowing he was married. He speculated she had played in a role in the plot because she "worshipped" Smith and possibly hoped to marry him.
Smith had also been in a relationship with a "Miss M" for the past five years.
Smith's wife had psychiatric problems and had attempted suicide twice, Barkhuizen said.
Kusevitsky, Neethling, Miss M and Smith's former wife had all described Smith as a liar, he said.
The bail hearing continues.