By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The defence lawyer in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, Thulani Mngomezulu, told the Pretoria high court on Monday that accused number two, Bongani Ntanzi, was lured into giving his address when he was called and offered a job by a police officer a week before his arrest.
Mngomezulu, who is representing Ntanzi and accused one, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, said this while cross-examining state witness Sergeant Vusimuzi Mogane.
He said Ntanzi was called from a landline in Pretoria a week before his arrest. The person who called him introduced herself as Sergeant Batho Mogola and offered him employment.
Mogane disputed this assertion and said Mogola would have informed him if she had phoned the accused.
On Tuesday, Mogane has defended the police’s decision to drive around for some 17 hours with Ntanzi
Mogane said that Ntanzi was booked out of Moot Police Station in Pretoria early on 17 June 2020 and only brought back in the early hours of the next day.
He told the court they did not take Ntanzi back to police holding cells, as they did not want him to get bored.
“He did not have a problem going with us because when we asked him if he was okay with going with us he agreed. The problem is that if he was taken to the cells, he was going to be locked alone and bored.”
“If he wanted to refuse, he could. But when we asked him if he was okay with going with us because we still had other things to do, he agreed.”
The conduct of the police in the Meyiwa trial has come under scrutiny in the trial within a trial.
According to the defence team, both of his clients were assaulted into confessing the details of Meyiwa’s murder.
Adv Thulani Mngomezulu further argued that the police also electrocuted Ntanzi.
This is a version that has been denied by other witnesses and Mogane, who is currently on the stand.
“I dispute that at the rate at which he claims was beaten, then he could’ve been taken to hospital or should’ve said something.”
The trial continues on Wednesday.
The five men on trial have pleaded not guilty to charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, illegal possession of a firearm and the illegal possession of ammunition.
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