Cops talk to 'mistress' in Rohde case

Jason Rohde's reported extramarital relationship forms part of the police investigation into his wife's murder.

The woman said to be the mistress of the Johannesburg multimillionaire is a Cape Town estate agent .

She has appointed lawyer Leon van der Merwe, who specialises in criminal cases, to "protect her interests".

He told the Sunday Times that she had made a statement to the police.

Susan Rohde's body was found in the bathroom of her hotel room at Spier wine estate in Stellenbosch on July 24, with the cord of a hair-straightening iron around her neck. She had accompanied her husband of 23 years to a property convention at the estate.

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Police are convinced she was murdered, but Jason 's army of investigators - including former senior police officers and a forensic pathologist - have said they believe she committed suicide.

A source with intimate knowledge of the events at Spier, said they had been told that hours before Susan's body was found there had been a confrontation between her, the woman her husband had reportedly been seeing and Jason, the CEO of Geffen International Realty Franchises. The Rohdes then stormed off.

Van der Merwe, asked whether he had been briefed to take any legal action on the reported mistress's behalf, said: "Legal action to what? To speculation that she's had an affair with him? No, no, why should we?"

Asked to comment on the reported affair, Jason 's lawyer, Daniel Witz, said : "T hat's obviously part of the state's evidence, so we wouldn't have been privy to whatever those witnesses said . .. until the state provides us with a copy of the docket."

In an extensive affidavit read out by his lawyer in the Stellenbosch Magistrate's Court, Jason laid bare many intimate details of his life and marriage.

The 47-year-old father of three said he and his wife had been having marital problems and had seen a marriage counsellor who, on two occasions, "felt that my wife could be a suicide risk and should seek immediate counselling and help".

The court heard that Susan had also seen a psychologist. The Sunday Times has established that she had seen a psychiatrist as well and had been taking anti-anxiety medication and sleeping tablets.

None of Susan's friends wanted to speak about the former primary school teacher. But images of the Rohde family's home in a Bryanston security estate, which is on the market for R9.8-million, give a glimpse into her personality.

block_quotes_start We decided why should we hide anything ... we want this matter to go to an inquest or be resolved block_quotes_end

The home is immaculately decorated in floral wallpaper and pastel colours, with candles, framed family photographs, paintings and vases of

flowers.

Shortly after Susan's death, when it emerged that Jason had been questioned by police, he wrote to family and friends to address what he called "unfounded allegations".

"This has been a devastating loss to our family and I thank you for all your continued support and love," he said.

"Unfortunately, hurtful and unfounded allegations are being spread and the press has gotten hold of this story and are attempting to sensationalise this tragedy."

Jason, whose employer has placed him on precautionary suspension with full pay, was arrested early on Tuesday and driven from Randburg to Stellenbosch in a bakkie.

He appeared calm but confident in the dock on Thursday and Friday while his arsenal of lawyers took on state prosecutor Carien Theunissen.

Advocate Pete Mihalik told magistrate Greg Jacobs that private forensic tests had established that Susan had taken her own life and that Jason's arrest had been unlawful.

In his affidavit, Jason said the family's home had gone on the market in January. "My late wife and I agreed to place the residence on the market as our eldest daughter was completing her matric and the younger daughter relocating schools to the Eastern Cape," he said.

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Witz said none of Jason's admissions - which included statements about his R30-million net worth, monthly income of R155,000, and the fact that he has three passports but only the Australian document is still valid - were necessary.

"We decided why should we hide anything ... we want this matter to go to an inquest or be resolved."

However, Jason might not have been open about everything.

Theunissen said police had been in Johannesburg when they decided to arrest Jason. "The trigger [for the detectives to make an arrest was] when they were in Johannesburg ... they received information about Rohde's offshore assets.

"They discussed [this] with their superiors and decided to make the arrest."

The court hearing will resume on Tuesday when it is hoped that a blood spatter report and a document detailing Jason's financial circumstances will be available.

The blood spatter report has raised further questions about Susan's death. While the cause of death is believed to be strangulation, Susan is thought to have suffered other injuries as well.

hymana@timesmedia.co.za, davidsn@sundaytimes.co.za