Fifth suspect in Panayiotou case confronts media

African News Agency (ANA)

Fifth suspect in Panayiotou case confronts media
Details of how Jayde Panayiotou longed to be loved by her husband Christopher, emerged in a letter read out in the Port Elizabeth magistrate’s court

A fifth suspect arrested in connection with the murder of murdered school teacher Jayde Panayiotou appeared in the Port Elizabeth’s Magistrate’s Court on Friday and appeared visibly agitated with the media for taking photographs.

Zolani Sibeko told reporters “you make me sick” and “you have no right to take pictures of me”.

Sibeko’s family members were seated in the court gallery and were visibly angry with the media for attempting to take pictures of him.

At one point a woman got up to inform court employees of pictures being taken. Court proceedings were not yet in session.

Police arrested Sibeko on Sunday after police used cellphone plotting which placed him at the scene of the Stellen Glen complex where the alleged kidnapping took place.

Jayde’s husband, Christopher, has been accused of masterminding the abduction and murder of his wife in April last year, allegedly because she was a “financial burden”.

The state alleged that he paid a bouncer at his Infinity night club, Luthando Siyoni, to hire hitman Sizwezakhe Vumazonke to kidnap and kill Jayde.

Siyoni has since become a section 204 witness which means that he is indemnified from prosecution if the court is satisfied at the end of the trial that he testified honestly.

The state further alleged that Sinethemba Nenembe helped Vumazonke to kidnap and kill Jayde at the behest of her husband.

During court proceedings on Friday, attorney Louis van Rensburg was present to represent Sibeko.

Van Rensburg will now have to provide the state with a hard drive in order to obtain copies of the docket.

He indicated that lawyer Peter Daubermann would represent Sibeko at trial.

Daubermann is also representing Nenembe.

State Prosecutor Marius Stander asked for the matter to be postponed.

Stander said he would ask for the matter to be transferred to the Port Elizabeth High Court where a pre- trial conference is set to take place in October.

The court previously heard that the state would oppose bail due to the fact it fell under a schedule six offence.

Sibeko is facings charges of conspiracy to commit murder, murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping and unlawful possession of firearm and ammunition.

The case was postponed until July 27 for the defence to obtain copies of the docket.

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SOURCEAfrican News Agency (ANA)