Surveillance footage shows murder accused wearing gloves and getting into victim’s car

16 March 2016 - 15:56 By Roxanne Henderson

Thulani Cele‚ the man accused of murdering Jeff Wiggill‚ the chairman of bankrupt engineering conglomerate First Tech‚ was allegedly seen wearing gloves when he got into Wiggill's car on the day he died. This was the testimony of SAPS officer Lieutenant Colonel Bhekikhaya Nazo in Cele's trial on Wednesday at the Johannesburg High Court‚ sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court southeast of Johannesburg.Cele‚ 40‚ is accused of murder and the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. He has pleaded not guilty.Wiggill‚ 54‚ was found dead with three gunshot wounds to the head‚ next to his black Bentley near an open field in Protea Glen‚ Soweto‚ in June 2013.The prosecution alleges that Wiggill paid Cele R100‚000 to kill him. Wiggill is known to have been in desperate financial circumstances at the time of his death.Nazo‚ who arrested Cele a week after Wiggill's murder‚ said he had identified Cele from surveillance footage obtained from a laboratory in Auckland Park.The footage showed Wiggill stop his Bentley on the road next to the laboratory before a man‚ later identified by First Tech as Cele‚ put on gloves and got into the car‚ Nazo said.The pair then drove off‚ he said.Cele has admitted that he was with Wiggill on the day of his death‚ but denies having any hand in his murder.The court has also heard previously that Cele's cell phone records placed him at the murder scene on that day.Nazo said that when he arrested Cele he read him his rights in isiZulu and Cele chose not to make a statement‚ saying instead that his attorney would prepare one for him.The defence has attacked the admissibility of this portion of Nazo's evidence which has led to a trial-within-a-trial.Source: TMG Digital/TMG Courts and Law..

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