Panayiotou Trial: Key witness denies damning statement
Babalwa Breakfast, a key witness in the Christopher Panayiotou trial, denied telling police that her boyfriend had informed her that ‘Chris wanted him to kill his wife’.
|||Port Elizabeth - The prosecution was dealt a massive blow on Wednesday when a key witness in the trial against murder accused Christopher Panayiotou, on Wednesday, deviated from two statements she had made to police, denying she had ever told cops that her boyfriend had informed her that “Chris wanted him to kill his wife [Jayde]”.
Babalwa Breakfast is the girlfriend of Luthando Siyoni who is a Section 204 witness.This means the court could grant him full indemnity from prosecution if it deems his testimony honest and reliable.
Siyoni was employed by Panayiotou as a bouncer at his Infinity nightclub. The State alleges Panayiotou paid Siyoni to hire hitman Sizwezakhe Vumazonke to kidnap and murder Jayde in April last year.
The trial involving Panayiotou and his two-co-accused Sinethemba Nenembe and Zolani Sibeko entered its 11th day in the Port Elizabeth High Court.
Breakfast told the court how she stashed money in her old school socks and counted the cash after being told to do so by her boyfriend who she had been in a “loving” relationship with for five years.S he said that Siyoni had informed her the money was for “renovating a gym” he ran in Zwide.
But her testimony contradicted her affidavits, an excerpt from Breakfast’s first statement made to police on April 27, 2015 reads: “According to Thando, Chris wanted him to kill his wife (Chris’s wife) and that he told him that he cannot do that but he can organise people that can do that for him.”
“In April, but I am not sure of the date, Thando has again informed me that he has found a guy that he called Sizwe who told him that he would kill the said lady for him. According to Thando the person that would successfully do the job for Chris would be paid an amount of R50 000.”
Breakfast denied ever saying this to police her answers were either “I don’t know this”, “I don’t re-call” or “no, I never said this”.
She also denied that Chris had ever came to Siyoni’s home and said she had only come to know about the businessman after seeing him on TV and in newspapers. Breakfast said that she had never mentioned money to police but only that she had counted money and stashed it in her old school socks.
However, her statement between April 20 and 21, hours before Jayde’s kidnapping, reads that Chris was at Siyoni’s house and according to Breakfast the pair had a conversation outside.
“Thando came back from Chris and gave a black bag that had money in it, he then requested me while waiting for my brothers I must please count R50 000 out of the money in the bag as it was money he had to pay Sizwe with. I did that and there was still money that was left but I did not count it.” the affidavit read.
Prosecutor Marius Stander said that it was clear Breakfast was deviating from her affidavits, he was hesitant to continue with examination but continued to so by discrediting her testimony.
“Are you asking the court to declare her a hostile witness?” asked Judge Dayalin Chetty.
Stander replied, “Not at this stage”.
Breakfast constantly gave evasive answers to simple yes or no questions, she rambled on going in circles on numerous occasions when the prosecution asked her questions pertaining to her statements.
She conceded to making two statements to police but then told the prosecution she could not “re-call it”. Breakfast even had a problem remembering if she did in fact sign the documents.
At one point, it became apparent that Chetty was irritated as he told her: “Ms Breakfast I am losing my patience with you, answer yes or no”.
The trial continues on Thursday.
African News Agency