The State called two senior police officials to the stand on Monday afternoon when court resumed after lunch.
Brigadier Ronald Steven Koll who was stationed at the Humewood police station made daily visits to the alleged middleman Luthando Siyoni while he was in protective custody.
Koll testified that Siyoni had special privileges due to the fact that he was not being detained as an accused but rather a witness. Brigadier Koll could only recall two complaints from Siyoni. The one was a medical issue which was clearly documented on the 26th of January 2016. The other complaint was made on the 30th of September 2016 when he raised concerns about his food.
Siyoni told Koll that he would no longer be eating the food they provided due to the fact that he feared being poisoned. He also mentioned that one of his family members was killed in Kolati Street which made him even more anxious.
Defence Advocate Terry Price pointed out that Siyoni only became a witness in August 2015 and did not have special privileges from his first day in custody. Koll testified that he received instructions to be more accommodating with Siyoni.
The State then called Brigadier Mohammed Humphreys to the stand who was responsible for transporting Babalwa Breakfast to Humewood police to visit her boyfriend Luthando Siyoni. Humphreys also transported Breakfast to the High Court where she consulted with the State on her evidence. He testified that she never complained about anything.
Price started his cross-examination by asking Humphrey's if it was true that he was tasked to spy on Panayiotou at the North End Prison.
Humphreys told the court that he was instructed by the lead investigator Kanna Swanepoel to go undercover to spy on a meeting that took place between Panayiotou and his mistress Chanelle Coutts. Humphreys says he wore a prison uniform and was given a broom to sweep the area. Price says it was common knowledge that Christopher had visits with Chanelle. State Prosecutor Marius Stander then pointed out that Chanelle Coutts never indicated in the register that she was there to visit Panayiotou. Judge Chetty questioned the relevance of his point.
Christopher Panayiotou is accused of being the mastermind behind the abduction and murder of his schoolteacher wife Jayde in April 2015.
The State is still busy with a trial-within-a- trial to determine the admissibility of a secret recording made by the police where Panayiotou allegedly implicates himself in the crime.
Court adjourned until Wednesday.
(Doreen Loubser, Algoa FM News)
