Senzo Meyiwa Murder Trial: Witness Statement Claims Crime Scene Was Cleaned Up, Says Defence Team
- The crime scene where Senzo Meyiwa was murdered was cleaned up and tampered with before police arrived to investigate
- The witness statement that was read out in court explained that there was water on the floor near the toilet
- State witness forensic expert Sargent Thabo Mosia told Advocate Zandile Mshololo that he understood that the crime scene was cleaned
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PRETORIA - Senzo Meyiwa’s murder scene was cleaned up before police arrived at the house according to the witness statements by three unidentified authors. Details related to how the crime scene was cleaned up were revealed by the defence lawyer for accused number five in the North Gauteng High Court on Monday 6 June.
Advocate Zandile Mshololo read out the witness statement while cross-examining state witness forensic expert Sargent Thabo Mosia and said the crime scene was tampered with before he arrived at the scene.
Source: UGC
Meyiwa was gunned down at the Vosloorus family home of his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo. Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Sifisokuhle Nkani Ntuli are accused of the murder. The statement explains that there was water on the floor near the toilet and Maggie Phiri started removing empty bottles from the house, TimesLIVE reported.
According to the statement, Phiri said the people in the house did not want the police to know they were drinking. She is accused number seven in a second case that was investigated by another police team. Mosia told Mshololo that he understood that the crime scene was cleaned.
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Meanwhile. Despite Advocate Malesela Teffo second attempt to convince the court in to halt the trial, his bid was dismissed. Mshololo did not oppose the application but wanted to complete her cross-examination of Mosia to be complete first, according to News24.
SA angered by court findings
Social media users believe that all those who were in the house when Senzo Meyiwa was murdered should be arrested:
Lopez Molaba said:
“Who in their right mind has time to clean up the scene after such a tragic incident has happened? You'll only do that when you have things to hide.”
Thabo Teboho Moloi wrote:
“Of course it was cleaned if one looks at the picture taken by forensics, there's no blood, no sign of fighting i.e fallen things due to people being pushed to the door.”
Zakhele PraiseGod Msweli commented:
“This is why everybody who was there should be in court testifying about why they had to clean the crime scene.”
Katlego Nickolas posted:
“So everyone in the house including Kelly’s mother must be charged with tampering with evidence of the crime scene.”
Lungile Khumalo stated:
“Arrest all the people who were in the house. Then the truth will come out.”
Stalliane Qholosha added:
“Those who cleaned the place must be arrested for tampering with the crime scene.”
Senzo Meyiwa murder trial: Judge shuts down Advocate Malesela Teffo’s bid to have case struck off roll
In a related matter, Briefly News also reported a bid to halt the Senzo Meyiwa trial was denied by the Gauteng High Court after Advocate Malesela Teffo made his appeal. The lawyer representing four of the five men accused of Meyiwa’s murder claimed that his clients had their rights violated when they first appeared in court two years ago.
The advocate told the court that the accused were not informed of their rights and claimed that they were not charged when they appeared in court. Advocate Teffo said continuing with the trial would be futile.
Source: Briefly News
