DURBAN - THE man accused of murdering 20-year-old Durban North woman Siam Lee has been remanded in custody until April. The 29-year-old businessman is accused of Lee’s murder after she went missing from an alleged brothel on Margaret Maytom Avenue on January 4.
Her charred body was discovered two days later on a farm in New Hanover, in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.
In the case at the Durban Magistrate’s Court, the accused faces additional charges, among them, rape and attempted murder, laid by two other women.
Those hoping to see justice prevail have to wait longer to find out if the alleged killer will be granted bail. There was general discontent when magistrate Mohamed Motala ruled that the decision would be made in April.
A wrap of the Siam Lee case, thus far
Meanwhile, the court heard on Thursday that the accused tried to evade charges which were expected to be brought against him for releasing toxic fumes into the environment through his Johannesburg-based firm, Better Fuels.
State prosecutor Surekha Marimuthu told the court that the businessman had evaded an official from the Department of Environmental Affairs.
The accused’s advocate, Martin Krog, said in court that his client had been prejudiced and that the case had turned into a “civilian case”.
During proceedings, the accused testified that he was a breadwinner who looked after his mother and brother, 14.
He also told the court that 17 staff members he employed had not received an income due to his businesses being shut because of his arrest.
The lengthy proceedings were prolonged when the accused took the stand and “rambled on and on” whenever he was asked a question. This led Motala to complain that the accused was delaying proceedings with his long, drawn-out responses.
Details pertaining specifically to Lee’s abduction and murder are yet to emerge in court.