Pietermaritzburg - A policeman tried to plant drugs in a doctor's surgery at the behest of the man accused of arranging the doctor's murder, the Pietermaritzburg High Court heard on Wednesday.
Rajivee Soni stands accused of hiring hitmen to shoot dead doctor Bhavish Sewran as he emerged from his surgery in May 2013.
He has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, and perjury, by laying charges claiming that Sewran sexually assaulted him and sexually assaulted the woman.
Warrant Officer Sutendran Naidoo told the court Soni suspected the doctor of having an affair with his wife. Naidoo testified that he and Soni had tried to discredit the doctor.
Soni allegedly laid false charges against the doctor, saying Sewran sexually assaulted him and a woman.
Naidoo said Soni had bribed the woman to pose as one of his patients and then claim Sewran fondled her breasts.
Also, Naidoo and another policeman had tried, but failed, to plant drugs in Sewran's surgery.
Naidoo told the court they planned to arrest Sewran on a Friday evening when he (Naidoo) was on duty at the Mountain Rise police station in Pietermaritzburg.
When the officers tasked with arresting Sewran went to his surgery, they found he still had patients to treat. Sewran agreed to go to the police station himself with his lawyer to deal with the sexual assault charge.
In a separate trial, hitman Sabelo Dlamini was sentenced to 25 years in jail for shooting and killing Sewran.
Sapa