Cape Town – The National Prosecuting Authority has slammed what it called slanderous statements by convicted wife killer Jason Rohde’s former mistress, Jolene Alterskye, that the State had attempted to create a crime that never happened so that it could lock up a "high-profile white man”.
Former property mogul Rohde was last week sentenced to an effective 20 years in jail for murdering his wife Susan. She was found dead in a locked bathroom at the Spier Wine Estate in 2016.
She had an electric cord wrapped around her neck and Rohde’s defence argued she had taken her own life after finding out that Rohde had had an affair with Alterskye.
According to reports, Alterskye took to the police’s Facebook page to post a now-deleted message accusing the State and the court of intentionally finding against Rohde.
She wrote: “I am appalled in this so-called justice system, the whole case was an attempt by the State to create a crime which never happened so they can lock up a high profile white man to try show the country that they are doing their job.
“As far as I am concerned the State and the judge are the same team and if the State acted unlawfully in illegally searching properties and bribing State witnesses, what else did they fabricate in order to get their Xmas bonus?
“A corrupt country starts with corrupt police and I do hope the truth be revealed and actual justice served.”
Yesterday, State prosecutor Louis van Niekerk said Alterskye’s statements were vague, broad, non-specific and slanderous.
“Alterskye made a statement to the police. She also consulted with the State, being the prosecution and with a police official present.
"No indication whatsoever at the time that a scheme, a conspiracy or a cover-up is under way against Jason Rohde.
“Alterskye was available among a number of other witnesses to the defence team of Rhode, see page 2251 of the court record, whereafter the defence team requested a month to consult and prepare for the evidence of the defence.
“Would be very telling if none of these sweeping, vague allegations finds its way into submissions by the defence of Rohde during the application for leave to appeal,” Van Niekerk said.
Alterskye did not answer calls or respond to messages requesting comment yesterday.
While sentencing Rohde, Judge Gayaat Salie-Hlophe said one love story trumped several relationships in Rohde’s life: the love for himself.
The judge said that throughout Rohde’s murder trial the court had heard of the big loves in the former property businessman's life: from marrying his childhood sweetheart Susan, to the relationship with Alterskye and the platonic love he had for his three daughters.