Xavier Radio Ug News 24 7
The defence in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial says it wants supporting documentary evidence showing that the cellphone number linked to Bongani Ntazi is also registered under his bank account.
The state probed Ntanzi about the calls he is said to have made from his prison cell to his family and his previous lawyer.
Ntanzi and his four co-accused are on trial for the 2014 murder of Meyiwa in the Pretoria High Court.
State Prosecutor, George Baloyi, took Ntanzi through phone records of communication he allegedly had with his previous lawyer and family members months after his arrest.
During Ntanzi’s cross-examination, Baloyi also told the court that data shows numerous airtime purchases before Ntanzi’s phone was eventually confiscated from his prison cell.
“ The feature *130 *3279# was used to top up and the date is 25 October 2020,” said Baloyi.
Ntanzi, who was arrested in June 2020, denies being in possession of a cellphone while in prison. When the state provided a Rica’d number linked to Ntanzi’s bank account, the defence claimed they were seeing the documents for the first time.
“ And Ntanzi raised it earlier on, let me see those documents. They were a little bit uncomfortable with them. But now they’ve got documents that we don’t have in our position. Can the state please make copies of the document that they have in their position also available to us? Otherwise, we’ll stand up and say this is a new information. We do not have it, it may constitute an unfair trial in the instance of this accused person, because we haven’t had the opportunity to go through the documents, for us to peruse them, to question them, to analyse the documents. But the document that they have in their position, I don’t have and that’s a concern that has been raised by Mr. Ntanzi. So, I, implore the state to kindly share the information, all the information that they have in their possession in relation to this case with us. And we call that a fair trial,” argued Defence counsel, Charles Mnisi.
Presiding Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng was puzzled by the defence’s request as he understood that all the counsels had all the relevant evidence in their bundles.
“You know what worries me? Evidence is led by the state. And if any one of you thinks, Mr. Baloyi is misleading this court, let’s put it plain, lying or pretending to be an expert. You take the record; you go and consult with an expect. And you say, this is what they say about this. You get an opinion, and then you come and cross examine. But you can’t stop the state from leading evidence. I’ve never heard of this.”
The cross examination of Ntanzi is expected continue Thursday morning.
VIDEO| The Senzo Meyiwa murder trial:
www.sabcnews.com, https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/defence-in-meyiwa-case-wants-proof-cell-number-linked-to-bank-account/
