Update
GEORGE NEWS - More damning evidence was heard in the George Circuit High Court this morning as the trial of the slain Hlompho Mohapi continues.
A state witness (36) from King Williams Town who started his testimony yesterday morning, Thursday 11 February at 09:00, continued this morning.
Besides being accused of the murder of Mohapi (25), self-ordained pastor Melisizwe Monqo, his wife Siphoshile Pamba and cousin Phumlani Quesheka are also accused of conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder relating to incidents that took place in the Eastern Cape before Mohapi was murdered in George on 5 July 2018.
During the witness' testimony the court heard how he was involved in an attempt to murder Nomfundiso Booi in Queenstown and Ezibeleni in 2018.
According to the witness, Monqo offered him and Quesheka R10 000 to murder Booi. However, he also told the court that it was never his intention to murder Booi and that his plan was to fake Booi's murder simply to get his hands on the money.
This comes after Monqo and Pamba were allegedly involved in taking out five life and funeral policies on Booi's name without her knowledge and pretending to be her.
During admissions, that were read into record by the accused's legal representatives at the beginning of the trial in October 2020, the court heard that although Pamba remembers making various calls to insurance companies between 2017 and 2018, as well as taking out life insurance and funeral policies, she was under instruction of her husband and merely obeyed his orders.
According to her, she never got involved in his business decisions and didn't question them, nor the consequences thereof.
While testifying the witness confirmed that he was never aware of any life or funeral policies and that Monqo had told him that Booi was causing trouble for him and his family in various ways and that was why he wanted her "removed".
The court heard how the witness and the accused tracked down their potential victim in Ezibeleni after searching for her in King Williams Town and Queenstown, before two attempts were made on her life.
The witness testified that the second attempt involved a housebreaking and a shooting at the house in Ezibleni where Booi stayed at the time. According to him, he witnessed how Monqo tried to shoot Booi after breaking into the house. He however missed the victim completely and they fled the scene. During the incident the witness sustained an open injury to his right arm that was, according to him, bandaged by Pamba, who was waiting in the car when they got back to the vehicle.
The getaway vehicle, a silver Suzuki, was allegedly the same car used by Monqo and Quesheka to pick up Mohapi from Thembalethu on the day she was murdered.
After fleeing the scene in Ezibeleni they allegedly turned back in attempt to "finish the job", but the police and other vehicles were at the scene already and they aborted.
From the witness' testimony it could be gathered that Pamba, who pleaded not guilty to all the charges against her, was involved in most of the discussions pertaining to the planned murder of Booi. According to the witness testimony, Pamba was also in the vehicle when they were searching for Booi and both times when they went to the house to try and kill Booi.
He said he did not have contact with them after the shooting incident and later heard that they had been arrested in George.
Previous articles:
- Witnesses testify in Mohapi murder trial
- Hlompho Mohapi murder accused back in court
- Mohapi murder trial resumes in High Court
- Mohapi murder trial
- Mohapi murder trial: Cellphones tell a story
- Update: Claims asessor testifies
- Pathologist testifies to brutality of Hlompho's murder
- Mohapi was brutally murdered, court hears
- Witnesses testify in Mohapi murder trial
- Mohapi murder: Pastor pleads guilty murder
- 29 charges against Mohapi murder accused
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