SMS left Patel terrified – trial

Aqueel Patel testified yesterday in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court in the case of crimen injuria against Peter-Paul Ngwenya that he felt so threatened by his aggressive behaviour that he had authorised payment of the dividend Ngwenya said he was entitled to.

Patel was the managing director of MRC Management Services in Sandton where Ngwenya, a former Robben Island political prisoner and current director of a company called Columbia, allegedly arrived and threatened to “kill these dogs” if payment was not made. Ngwenya also allegedly refused to leave unless he received payment and for the safety of his staff and the premises, Patel said he made the payment of nearly R590 000 into Ngwenya’s account.

Despite having made previous dividend payments due to Columbia into Ngwenya’s personal account, Patel said he had been informed by MRC lawyers it was not in the interests of MRC for payments meant for Columbia shareholders to go into Ngwenya’s account instead of Columbia’s.

The dividends were due from a joint venture between Ngwenya and longtime business partner and Investec chairperson Fana Titi.

Titi was called a “QwaQwa k **** r” in an abusive SMS from Ngwenya when the dividend payments stopped.

Ngwenya claimed that Titi owed him close to R54 million.

Patel testified yesterday that he was shocked “out of my life” and his wife was “gobsmacked” when he received this SMS: “You bloody swine of a racist you. You chose the wrong Bantustan man. He misled you. You will bleed you are a bloody SWINE! Sue me I will appreciate it (sic).” The SMS is not in dispute and forms part of the court record.

Patel is a Muslim and had been preparing for Ramadan at about 4am when he saw the message forwarded by Titi.

“I was terrified. The message made a number of derogatory statements about me and threatened I was going to bleed ‘you bloody swine’,” he said.

Patel stated yesterday he had been afraid of Ngwenya since 2015 when he alleged Ngwenya had called him a racist and a thief.

After the SMS, Patel said he had tried to resign, but Titi would not let him.

Ngwenya faces two counts of contravening a protection order and one count of crimen injuria.

The message made a number of derogatory statements about me and threatened I was going to bleed. Aqueel Patel Fana Titi’s business partner