Panayiotou trial kicks off
The much anticipated trial of businessman Christopher Panayiotou and the men he allegedly hired to murder his schoolteacher wife, Jayde Panayiotou, will begin Tuesday at the Port Elizabeth High Court.
Judge Dayalin Chetty is presiding over the matter set down to run for eight weeks.
Christopher Panayiotou, is being represented by well known Eastern Cape lawyers Alwyn Griebenow and Advocate Terry Price. His two co-accused, Sinethembe Nenembe and Zolani Sibeko, are being represented by Advocate Peter Daubermann.
Alleged triggerman Sizwezakhe Vumazonke died in custody. Details of a toxicology report have yet to emerge amid fears that he was poisoned.
The businessman is accused of orchestrating the murder and abduction of his schoolteacher wife, Jayde, in April last year.
It is alleged that he paid Luthando Siyoni, a bouncer from his Infinity nightclub, to hire hitman Vumazonke to kidnap and kill Jayde.
The State alleges that Nenembe assisted Vumazonke to kidnap and murder Jayde at the behest of her husband.
Siyoni has since turned States witness.
Cellphone plotting indicated Sibeko was with Nenembe and Vumazonke outside Jayde's Stellen Glenn Complex in Kabega Park just five days before the schoolteacher was abducted.
The accused are facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder, murder, kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances and unlawful possession of firearm and ammunition.
Panayiotou, who was arrested shortly after his wife's murder more than a year ago and has been denied bail, faces an additional charge of defeating the ends of justice.