Mohapi murder: insurance assessor testifies

GEORGE NEWS - Testimony this week in the murder trial of the slain 25-year-old Hlompho Mohapi (Koloi) concerned the insurance claims procedure at OUTsurance, one of the companies where life insurance had been taken out on Mohapi's name. The three accused, Melisizwe Monqo, Siphosihle Pamba and Phumlani Qhusheka, have been in custody since they were arrested in July 2018 shortly after Mohapi's body was found on the Voëlklip road near Herold's Bay.

On Monday 26 October, Eric Buckle, a life claims assessor at OUTsurance from Johannesburg, took the stand.

He explained the procedure when policies are taken out and how the claims process works.

Buckle told the court that on 11 July 2018 a man who said he was Mohapi's life partner informed OUTsurance that she was stabbed to death on 5 July that year. The same person also provided the claims advisor with an e-mail address and contact details for the claim.

On 12 July, Buckle had a look at system-generated e-mails and noticed that a life policy to the value of R3-million was taken out less than five days before the claim was filed.

He subsequently discovered that more life insurance policies had been taken out on Mohapi's life from Clientele Life and One Life Direct. These policies, as well as the policies from OUTsurance, were all taken out on 3 July - two days before Mohapi was murdered.

This morning, Wednesday 28 October, an analyst from the Hawks took the stand. During her testimony she showed and explained certain phone records to the court.

The cellphone records show a number of calls made between the three accused as well as various calls between Pamba and Mohapi in the days leading up to her death.

Read more in tomorrow’s George Herald, and online.

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