It emerged in court on Thursday morning that the man who claimed to have seen a bag containing about R30‚000 in murder accused Christopher Panayiotou’s business storeroom prior to his wife Jayde's disappearance was a disgruntled employee who was fired for stealing a bottle of whiskey.
Mawonga Ndedwa‚ a handyman at Panayiotou’s OK Grocer and Infinity Cocktail Bar at the time‚ claimed further that Panayiotou often used his (Ndedwa’s) phone to contact self-confessed middleman Luthando Siyoni.
Ndedwa‚ quick to admit to the theft‚ said he did so on purpose in order to get fired.
He claims he was fed up with working there.
Ndedwa said he had a good relationship with Panayiotou but did not get along well with his mother‚ Fanoula‚ who became his boss after her son’s arrest.
He said he also became aware that the police were looking for his cellphone because it had been used to contact Siyoni.
“Chris gave me R1‚000 and told me to destroy the phone or else the police would come looking for me.”
After Panayiotou’s arrest he informed Fanoula of his intention to hand the phone in.
“She just stared at me and then drank a glass of water.”
He said afterwards one of Panayiotou’s uncles came to him to and said if he did that it would sink Chris.
TMG Digital/The Herald
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