Newsdeck
Panayiotou case finally ready for trial
Port Elizabeth - The case against Christopher Panayiotou and his co-accused is finally ready to go to trial, despite the recent death of the alleged hitman in the case.
Panayiotou, Sinethemba
Her body was found in a veld in KwaNobuhle, Uitenhage, the next day. She had been shot three times.
Sizwezakhe
Vumazonke had been in custody since his arrest in early May last year. The August pre-trial hearing was postponed because Vumazonke had apparently been suffering from an unknown illness for weeks and had been violently ill in the holding cells.
He had struggled up the stairs and appeared to have lost a lot of weight. He was hospitalised immediately after the August proceedings were postponed. The rescheduled appearance on September 5 was again postponed after the court heard that Vumazonke had slipped into a coma days later.
Addressing Judge Glen Goosen in the High Court in Port Elizabeth on Thursday morning, prosecutor Marius Stander confirmed that Vumazonke had since died, although the State was not yet in possession of the death certificate. No reference was made to a toxicology report linked to Vumazonke’s illness that the State had been waiting for.
Vumazonke’s defence team, Michelle Blignaut and Advocate Hannelie Bakker, have officially withdrawn from the case.
Stander told Judge Goosen he had consulted with both Panayiotou’s defence team – consisting of attorney Alwyn Griebenow and Advocate Terry Price – and with attorney Peter
Stander requested that the matter
Objection raised
He said he had tried to submit a copy of the correspondence for Judge Goosen’s attention, but that the registrar’s office had been locked.
Goosen reprimanded
Goosen asked Daubermann whether the matter would have an impact on his availability.
He then informed Daubermann that, should the response from the State relating to his query have any impact on his readiness for the trial, he could take the matter up with the trial judge on October 11.
The judge then said he was satisfied that the trial could proceed, the trial roll for the fourth quarter had been prepared and the trial would commence on October 11.
Goosen confirmed that the trial judge would be Judge Dayalin Chetty.
News24