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Witness in Coligny murder case grilled

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The lawyer representing accused number one Pieter Doorewaard has grilled a key witness Bonakele Pakisi in the North West High Court about the use of his cell phone the day Matlhomola Mosweu was killed. Doorewaard’s attorney said according to the phone records obtained from the service provider, Pakisi used his cell phone between the 20 and 22 April 2017 updating his statuses on social media.

Pakisi remained resolute before the court that he never used his cell phone during the ordeal of Matlhomola Mosweu. During his cross examination by the lawyer representing Pieter Doorwaard the first accused, key witness Bonakele Pakisi was asked when was the last time he used the phone numbers given on a statement.

Pakisi responded to the question by saying that the last time he used the phone was on the 19 April and its battery was half full. He further told the court that the following day his phone was off before it was taken by the second accused Phillip Schutte.

The lawyer for the first accused further asked Pakisi how did it happen that his Facebook account was updated on the 22 April last year. In his response Pakisi told the court that, he is the only person with a password to his Facebook account.

Secondly he last saw his phone when it was confiscated by the accused, Schutte, on the day Matlhomola Mosweu was killed. However the defence representing the accused closed his cross examination by saying the testimony given by the key witness before the court is contradictory to the statement given to the police and cannot be trusted.

Meanwhile, the lawyer representing accused number two, Phillip Schutte, scrutinised the testimony made by Bonakele Pakisi that he was the last person to see the deceased thrown out of a moving bakkies by the second accused after stopping three times.

However he told the police in his statement that it only stopped once.  He further said that since his memory was affected for some time, he now remembered some more details. Scutte’s attorney will continue cross examining the key witness again.

More witnesses are expected to be called before the court. Pieter Doorewaard and Phillip Scutte are facing a charge of murder and they have pleaded not guilty. The trial continues until 20 June.

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