The trial of the self-confessed middleman in the 2015 murder of school teacher Jayde Panayiotou got underway in the High Court in Gqeberha on Tuesday.
33-year-old Luthando Siyoni, who has been in custody for three and a half years, was initially the State's key witness but was found to be untruthful and will now face two charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
The long-awaited trial, seen as the second chapter in a quest for closure for Jayde's family, got off to a rocky start when Siyoni's new legal representative, Advocate Siphokazi Cubungu, brought an application for the State Prosecutor to recuse himself.
The details of the application were not divulged in court but will be argued on Wednesday.
Siyoni is being tried by Advocate Marius Stander who secured a conviction for Jayde's husband.
Christopher Panayiotou is currently serving a life sentence for orchestrating the hit on his wife and is expected to testify against Siyoni who was his former employee.
In the main trial, 33-year-old Siyoni confessed to his role in sourcing a hitman and implicated Panayiotou as the one behind the plan to have his wife murdered.
In his Section 204 statement, Siyoni described how he had been approached by Panayiotou to find a hitman to murder his wife, and how after a few failed attempts he had contracted the alleged hitman Sizwe Vumazonke to commit the act.
Vumazonke subsequently died in hospital and never stood trial for Jayde's murder.
In an undercover police sting operation involving the participation of Siyoni, Panayiotou implicated himself in his wife's murder.
The conversation between Siyoni and Panayiotou was recorded in a secret police video which led to a trial within a trial that played out in court.
The video sent shockwaves throughout the community of Nelson Mandela Bay and sealed Panayiotou's fate.
Siyoni's subsequent conduct during the Panayiotou trial was criticised by Judge Dayalin Chetty who described his testimony "a cocktail of lies, perjury and contrivances designed to advance Panayiotou's defence".
Jayde Panayiotou went missing on the 21st of April 2015.
She was abducted outside her Stellen Glen Complex in Kabega Park while waiting for her lift to Riebeek College for Girls where she was a much-loved teacher.
Jayde's body was found on the outskirts of KwaNobuhle the following day with three bullet wounds.
The State intends to call around 40 witnesses during Siyoni's trial which is set to run until the 3rd of December.
