One of the six accused in the murder of Gauteng Health Department official, Babita Deokaran had initially claimed that the hit was ordered by former health minister Zweli Mkhize and his brother.
On Tuesday, the suspect retracted this claim in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court. He claimed that his false statement was due to the torture and brutality he faced at the hands of investigators.
The suspect’s affidavit and those of fellow accused Zitha Hadebe, Phinda Ndlovu and Sanele Mbele, read into the record by their legal representative were in support of their application to be released on bail.
The affidavits of Siphwe Mazibuko and Sipkhanyiswa Dladla will be read in on Friday morning, whereafter the prosecution will argue why the six should not be released on bail.
The State contends that the six accused conspired to murder Babita Deokaran on 23 August, for which they were each paid R400 000.
Deokaran was shot dead in front of her home in Winchester Hills, Johannesburg. She was a key witness in a Special Investigating Unit probe into the R332-million PPE scandal at the Gauteng Health Department. According to the State, Deokaran was killed to silence her.
The six are charged with murder, attempted murder relating to a person wounded during the incident and the illegal possession of an unlicensed firearm.
In his affidavit, Hadebe claimed that he was severely assaulted by investigators after his arrest on 26 August.
“I am innocent of the charges against me. I have no knowledge of and was not involved in the murder of Babita Deokaran, nor any conspiracy to such murder.”
Hadebe said that after he endured hours of torture at the hands of police, “I pleaded that I did not know the man and in response I was punched hard and threatened. Then I falsely admitted it was Mr. (sic) Mkhize.
“I have never met our former health minister Mr. Mkhize nor his brother. I suspect one of the pictures which I could not identify was indeed that of our former health minister.”
He also denied receiving R400,000 as payment, stating that on 25 August he deposited R15,000 into his account, which was from taxi-related business.
Sources: MSN, Briefly
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