Panayiotou case: closing argument
STATE LINKS 3 ACCUSED
The state presented closing arguments in the trial of murder-accused Christopher Panayiotou in the High Court in Port Elizabeth yesterday. The businessperson is charged, alongside Sinethemba Nenembe and Zolani Sibeko, with conspiring to kidnap and murder Christopher’s teacher wife, Jayde Panayiotou, on April 21, 2015.
State advocate Marius Stander set out to pin down the role of alleged hitman Sizwe Vumazonke, who has since died. He submitted there was overwhelming evidence Vumazonke played an “integral part” in the preparation, execution and cover-up of what he called a contract killing.
Stander linked Vumazonke to self-confessed middleman Luthando Siyoni by SMSes, where they seemingly discuss payment for the alleged hit. Stander said Vumazonke and Siyoni contacted car hire companies, with Vumazonke paying for the car used to allegedly kidnap Jayde.
The vehicle tracker placed the Toyota Etios outside the house of a friend of Jayde, the school where they taught and Jayde’s Stellen Glen Complex – incidents the state calls “scouting”.
Stander said that without a doubt Vumazonke was one of the killers. “The evidence against Siyoni is damning and I will ask that the court find he was also involved in the killing,” he added.
According to Siyoni’s confession, Panayiotou agreed to pay R80 000 and Siyoni would get R30 000 and Vumazonke the rest. Siyoni has since recanted his confession and claims police beat him up and forced him to implicate his former boss. Stander said the confession indicated the role played by Siyoni in the killing.
The prosecution also outlined a sequence of events in which on April 7, Panayiotou met Siyoni and paid the money for the car rental. On April 8, the car was hired. “From the cellphone billing of Vumazonke and Siyoni, it’s clear both were in the Etios from the time it left Siyoni’s residence.”
Stander said just prior to arriving at Jayde’s workplace, Siyoni made two calls to Mawongo Ndedwa’s phone, which Christopher Panayiotou was using. – ANA