Panayiotou Trial: Bouncer's girlfriend testifies
The girlfriend of alleged middleman Luthando Siyoni testified about finding money in her boyfriend's gym bag.
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Port Elizabeth - The girlfriend of alleged middleman and Section 204 witness Luthando Siyoni told the Port Elizabeth High Court how she allegedly stashed money in her old school socks and counted the cash in bundles of 10 after being told to do so by her boyfriend.
Babalwa Breakfast testified on the 11th day of the ongoing murder trial of Christopher Panayiotou and his two co-accused Sinethemba Nenembe and Zolani Sibeko. The trio are charged with murdering Panayiotou’s school teacher wife Jayde.
Siyoni was employed by Panayiotou as a bouncer at his Infinity nightclub in Algoa Park. According to his girlfriend he also ran a gym in Zwide township. The State alleges Panayiotou paid Siyoni to hire hitmen Sizwezakhe Vumazonke (who has since died in custody) and Nemembe to kidnap and murder Jayde in April last year.
Breakfast told the court that she noticed money in Siyoni’s gym bag and asked him where it had come from.
“He told me that the money was collected through his gym and for being a bouncer, he said the money was for renovating the gym,” she said.
According to a report, published in the Herald earlier this year, police claim that Breakfast was the first to crack during questioning and told cops everything she knew about the school teacher’s murder.
During her testimony on Wednesday, Breakfast also recalled the day on April 27 police came to her house looking for her.
She said she then travelled to Infinity nightclub in Algoa Park and pointed out to police her boyfriend’s place of work.
“There were 2 or 3 police cars, the police told me not to get out of the vehicle and Luthando was put in a different vehicle,”
She said they didn’t speak to one another and the bouncer just knocked on her window as he passed by before getting into another police car.
Breakfast said they then went to Uitenhage and were questioned in separate rooms. She said she provided police with a statement.
Court has adjourned. Proceedings will resume on Wednesday afternoon.
African News Agency