Panayiotou heard in damning video evidence
DAMNING video footage taken during an undercover police sting operation was played in the Port Elizabeth High Court yesterday, on which accused Christopher Panayiotou can be heard allegedly implicating himself in his wife Jayde’s murder.
“It became a kidnapping and murder instead of just a robbery outside the house,” the businessman can be heard saying in the video.
After a lengthy trial-withina-trial, Judge Dayalin Chetty this week ruled the video recording admissible.
Panayiotou had met up with self-confessed middleman Luthando Siyoni at the Algoa Park Steers on April 29, 2015, just days after Jayde Panayiotou was shot dead.
A frantic Panayiotou can be heard becoming paranoid that police were watching his every move and in the video tells Siyoni to destroy his SIM card and cellphone, and not to call him because police were tracing his phone.
He said he had not wanted the police to find out about the relationship between himself and the bouncer.
“What did they ask you, tell me? Did they ask if I’m involved or anything?” Panayiotou said.
“I’m going to report you called me. In half an hour I’m going to call the investigating officer. He was at my house now and my uncle was all around me,” he continues.
“I’m going to tell them you came to see me, you wanted to borrow money because people took you in for questioning for steroids. I have to tell them, they are investigating me and if I lie to them they are going to take me in.”
The businessman could also be seen handing over cash to Siyoni before telling him to leave town.
Jayde’s mother and sister, Michelle and Toni Inggs, broke down in tears on listening to the contents of the video.
“These boys made it look big, I told you let them do it outside the house and take the bags and the rings. And they didn’t take the watch, they just left everything there. So it looks like a hit now,” Panayiotou said.
Panayiotou, Sinethemba Nenembe and Zolani Sibeko are on trial for conspiracy to kidnap, rob and murder Jayde on April 21, 2015. – ANA