Cape Town - Jason Rohde’s mistress believes he is an innocent man who was wrongfully convicted by a crooked justice system.
Sotheby’s estate agent and single mom Jolene Alterskye, 37, made these allegations in a text message sent after Rohde was jailed last week for 20 years for the murder of his wife at Spier Hotel in July 2016 and staging it to look like suicide.
The message followed her scathing post soon after sentencing on the SAPS Facebook page, where she accused Rohde’s arresting officers of lying and acting unlawfully.
“The State and the judge are the same team,” says Alterskye in her text message. “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?”
The Rohde case “was an attempt by the State to create a crime which never happened”, continues Alterskye, in order to jail “a high-profile white man”.
She also said that she hoped the truth would come out one day.
Earlier, on the police Facebook page, Alterskye had lashed out at a statement the police posted immediately after Rohde’s sentencing on Wednesday.
Featuring a photograph of the Stellenbosch detectives outside the high court, the SAPS praised investigating officers sergeants Marlon Appollis and Stephen Adams for their “winning streak” of successful convictions in three high-profile murder cases.
Lauding their “sterling” detective work, it concluded: “It is remarkable that the same detective team is able to secure convictions and sentences in three major cases from the same area during such a short period.”
Alterskye lashed out in response. “These two ‘officers’ did nothing but lie, and acted unlawfully, raiding my home and intimidating my child without a legal search warrant. After months of broken promises I received my ‘illegally’ confiscated goods through whiskey pay-offs, as that is the only language they understand. These are not people we should respect nor promote so hopefully they do not get a higher rank. I do hope these detectives are not the norm and that there are good cops out there.”
Alterskye was referring to her phone and computer, which were seized by the officers in September 2016.
Several responses followed before Alterskye deleted her post.
“But you’re the affair.... wtf???” said one.
“Very bold of her to comment on being his mistress,” wrote another.
In the aftermath, Alterskye’s lawyer, William Booth, declined to answer specific questions relating to what evidence his client had about a judicial conspiracy.
Nor would he elaborate on the “truth” about the Rohde matter. “At this time my client does not wish to say anything. We will consider the matter and reply at a later time if necessary.”
Calling Alterskye’s allegations “vague, broad, non-specific and slanderous in nature”, Rohde prosecutor advocate Louis Van Niekerk said she made a statement to police at an early stage in the investigation. “There was no indication whatsoever at the time that a scheme, a conspiracy or a cover-up was underway against... Rhode.”
Responding to Alterskye’s claims, SAPS spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana advised her “to lodge an official complaint with the Stellenbosch management in order for the allegations in her post to be investigated”.