Sunday World (South Africa)

AKA’S late fiancée’s cell wiped clean, destroying all evidence

Family requests police to ask Apple to retrieve records

- By Ngwako Malatji and Theo Nyhaba news@sundayworl­d.co.za

Cellphone records of rapper AKA’S late fiancée Anele Tembe have been allegedly deleted when her cellphone was wiped clean by mischiefs in an apparent bid to destroy crucial evidence needed to assist the police in their inquest case.

Tembe, who was fondly known as Nelli, died when she allegedly jumped from the balcony of a hotel room in Cape Town after an altercatio­n with the award-winning rapper, real name Kiernan Forbes.

Sunday World understand­s the police are set to apply for Section 205 of the Criminal Procedure Act to obtain Tembe’s records from her Apple phone, which include text messages and e-mails she received and sent to her close contacts.

It is also believed that the family has even requested the police to ask Apple to assist in retrieving the crucial missing records, a move that is likely to delay the investigat­ion even further.

It was not clear at the time of going to print who might have deleted the records from her cellphone as neither AKA nor Tembe’s family knew her pass code because she kept it secret.

A source who is close to the investigat­ion said Tembe’s cellphone was handed over to the family by a close ally after her death.

“The family asked AKA if he knew the pass code, but he told them he had no idea as she kept it secret.”

The mole said the family and the police later discovered that Tembe’s phone had been wiped clean and the cellphone records deleted when they examined it during their investigat­ion.

Another source, who also did not want to be named for fear of victimisat­ion, confirmed some records were deleted, but did not know if this happened before or after Tembe’s cellphone was handed over to her family by AKA’S business partner and friend Jabu Nkabinde.

The deep throat said the cell was later handed over to the police by Tembe’s family.

When the police asked them if they knew her pass code, they told them that they did not have it. The police later asked AKA’S lawyers if he knew Tembe’s pass code and he too told them that he did not know it.

“The investigat­ing officer only asked his lawyer verbally to ask Kiernan if he knew her phone password as the father claims not to have it, yet they are missing bitchy comments in reference to DJ Zinhle from her social media that she made the day before her suicide.

“That being a confirmati­on that whoever was in possession of her phone deleted those comments a week after her funeral,” said the tipster.

Another source also said AKA was livid that informatio­n on Tembe’s cellphone records was deleted. He reiterated that Tembe’s bitchy comments she had made about Zinhle, who has a child with the rapper, had been deleted.

“Also, if they are certain her phone was wiped off, how did they gain access to it and delete the comment she had made on her IG the day before she died?” asked the source.

In a written response, AKA’S lawyers, Mabuza Attorneys, accused Sunday World of publishing slanderous and dangerous falsehood.

“Yet you continue to attempt to legitimise your sources with distorted facts by publishing – attempting to interfere with an ongoing inquest and contributi­ng towards driving a negative public narrative.

“Our client’s harassment has come by way of your publicatio­n not through this country’s law enforcemen­t agencies that he has fully co-operated with.”

If they’re certain

her phone was wiped off, how did they gain accesss?

 ??  ?? Kiernan Forbes
Kiernan Forbes
 ??  ?? Anele Tembe
Anele Tembe

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