Dewani mute in SA but might have to answer in London
London Correspondent THE North London coroner has set a date for the inquest hearing into the death of Anni Dewani, who was murdered while on honeymoon with her husband, Shrien, in Cape Town in 2010.
A clerk at the North London coroner’s office confirmed on Friday that “a date has been set for late in the summer ... September 9.”
Coroner Andrew Walker announced in February that he would resume the inquest into the murder. It had been adjourned while the criminal case against Shrien Dewani was being prosecuted in South Africa. The inquest is being held because Anni was resident in North London at the time of her death.
Millionaire Bristol businessman Dewani, who had fought extradition to South Africa on mental health grounds, returned to the UK in December after his murder trial in Cape Town collapsed. He immediately went to ground.
Dewani did not give evidence in his Cape Town trial, and was not cross-examined, but he might now face questions from Walker about Anni’s death. DATE WITH THE CORONER: Shrien Dewani
The Sunday Times understands that the inquest has been delayed because the barristers representing Dewani and those representing Anni’s family, the Hindochas, have wrangled over dates. The coroner’s clerk warned that the date set down was “subject to change”.
An injury to Anni’s father, Vinod — who underwent hours of surgery to reattach an arm ripped off in a lift accident last month — might have contributed to the delay in getting a date set for the hearing.
Anni was abducted while the couple were on a tour of Gugulethu township, Cape Town, late at night on November 13 2010. Dewani was released unharmed. But Anni was killed.
The couple’s taxi driver, Zola Tongo, was arrested along with Xolile Mngeni and Mziwamadoda Qwabe. They confessed to the abduction and murder, but accused Dewani of orchestrating Anni’s killing.
Tongo claimed Dewani offered him R15 000 to organise the murder, and Qwabe that Dewani wanted Anni’s murder to look like a botched hijacking.
Dewani has steadfastly denied all these allegations.
Dewani’s murder trial collapsed when Judge Jeanette Traverso ruled in December that state witnesses were not credible and had given contradictory evidence. She also ruled that evidence about Dewani’s history of sex with male prostitutes was inadmissible. The state had been relying on this evidence to show motivation for the murder, alleging that Dewani had kept his wife in the dark about his sexual preferences and wanted out of the marriage.
The Hindochas have said they will pursue a civil action against Dewani for concealing his sexuality from their daughter. Vinod described the marriage as “false” and a “drama”.