Hlompho Mohapi murder: Accused no 3 ‘had no idea’

Update

GEORGE NEWS - The cross-examination of accused number three in the Hlompho Mohapi (Koloi) murder trial, Phumlani Quesheka (31), started in the George Circuit High Court on Wednesday morning, 26 May.

Co-accused Siphoshile Pamba's (26) testimony and cross-examination were concluded last Wednesday. Court resumed on Monday 26 May with Pamba's defence calling two more witnesses as instructed by her.

These witnesses, both from the Eastern Cape, mainly testified about the relationship between Pamba and her husband Melisiswe Monqo (33), who is accused number one in the case, as well as the alleged physical abuse that Pamba had to endure.

During her testimony last week Pamba spoke of severe physical abuse since 2017 and adultery during her relationship with Monqo. She said that Monqo had an affair with Nomfundio Booi, one of three women in the Eastern Cape on whose names policies have been taken out.

According to Pamba, Monqo forced her to take out no less than 12 fraudulent life and funeral policies during 2017 and 2018. These accumulated to about R30-million.

On Wednesday Quesheka vehemently denied knowing the murdered Mohapi, that he was ever involved in any attempt on Booi's life in the Eastern Cape or that he was ever aware of any policies taken out on any of the victims' lives.

He also denied being in the silver Suzuki that picked up Mohapi for a job interview at George Airport shortly before she was kidnapped and murdered and said that, besides leaving Pamba's mother's house to go to the shop and buy cigarettes, he never left the house while he was in Thembalethu.

Mohapi (25) was allegedly lured to her death under false pretence of a job interview. Life and funeral policies worth nearly R5-million were taken out on her name shortly before she was killed. In total, policies of nearly R30-million rand were taken out on Mohapi, Booi and two other women from the Eastern Cape.

The court further heard that it was never Quesheka's intent to come to George with his co-accused and that he was simply looking for a lift from King William's Town to PE (Gqeberha) to look for work. This, he said, was when Monqo asked him to come with them to George to level a heap of gravel in Pamba's mother's yard in Thembalethu, the house they were staying in at the time of Mohapi's death.

He said the levelling of the gravel took him from the Thursday to Saturday after which they took him to the hiking spot to get a lift to Gqeberha.

Quesheka testified that the phone he had in his possession at the time of his arrest in Knysna, was given to him by Pamba. He claimed that he was not aware that the phone belonged to the deceased.

He said that, after his arrest on 7 July 2018, he phoned his co-accused to tell them about his arrest and they said they would come to the police station.

Quesheka completed his testimony on Wednesday afternoon, after which his cross-examination started.

The case serves in front of Honourable Judge Taswell Papier. Adv Evadne Kortjé is for the state, Adv Johan Visser (SC) represents Monqo, Adv Dawie Scholtz represents Pamba and Att Louise Luterek will be representing Quesheka.

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