Lead investigator Brigadier Bongani Gininda has denied offering accused two, Bongani Ntanzi, R3 million for a confession implicating “the right people” in former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa‘s murder.
Gininda was being cross-examined in a trial-within-a-trial in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Thursday morning, the day after his affidavit named singer Kelly Khumalo as the person who allegedly paid for Meyiwa to be killed.
Meyiwa was fatally shot by armed intruders at the Khumalo family home in Vosloorus, Gauteng, on 26 October 2014, in what has been labelled as a robbery gone wrong.
However, the court heard this week that Meyiwa’s murder was not a robbery gone wrong, but a contract killing.
On Thursday, defence Advocate Thulani Mngomezulu, for accused two, told Gininda that his client had accused him of offering him R3 million to implicate the “right people” in the murder, and was assaulted at various locations for a confession to that effect.
Ntanzi further denied having signed any document purported to be a confession on the morning of 19 June 2020.
According to Mngomezulu, as informed by his client, Gininda went to Ntanzi on 21 June 2020, apologised to him for the assault by police officers for a confession and offered him R3 million.
Gininda replied: “I’m shocked about the claim that police bribe the suspects. I’ve never heard of a case where the state or police officers offer accused persons R3 million. I’ve never heard of it. It’s my first time. It’s absotuley not true, it’s a lie. There’s no budget that I have even to make such an offer. I didn’t have a budget of R3 million for the unit during that time. I don’t have it.
“Even if it was available, why would I do that. The accused cooperated with me on the 18th and told me he was willing to make a statement voluntarily. On the 19th in the morning, he made the confession. What is the point of going to him on the 21st for what promises? There were no promises made. I met him on the 22nd.”
Gininda said he only met Ntanzi in Carletonville on 18 June, for his alibi that never was, and then met him again on the 19th.
“I did meet him on 18 June 2020 at Carltonville mine. This [was] when we were following the alibi who said he was at work. This information was found to be false. Subsequent to that meeting and utterings that he was willing to make a confession, I left with Sergeant Mogane. That is from Carltonville. I never saw him again or travelled with him and Sgt Mogane. We went our separate ways. I only met him the following day in the evening. I was never in Alberton,” said Gininda.
“Based on the information collected on his detainment, there was no indication that he was assaulted, because I am the one who organised the OBs [Occurrence Book entry]. Subsequent to the mechanical fault that was reported by Sgt Mogane, I know he was taken through the OB registers in the morning of the 19th, booked out for court proceedings and nowhere does it reflect that he was assaulted at any stage when he was there.”
The confession was made on 19 June 2020 and concluded before midday. Gininda met the suspect later that evening, and there was no indication the suspect had a complaint of being assaulted, he said.
“What I know is that there was an understanding between me and accused two that he is freely and voluntarily willing to make a confession to an independent officer. Subsequent to that, arrangements were made for a confession to be taken and it was indeed taken,” said Gininda.
“The document I received from Lieutenant Raphadu in his office in Ennerdale, was signed on the portion where the accused was supposed to sign. And I didn’t get any indication, even when I met him later that evening of the 19th, because the confession was concluded just before midday, that he had no complaints. I did not see any visible injuries on him.”
Gininda said he did not witness any assault either.
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