HILLARY Gardee had a business transaction with one of her alleged killers.
This is according to investigating officer Colonel Thamsanqa Mkhaliphi, who was testifying during the bail hearing of Philemon Lukhele on Tuesday, 20 December, in the Nelspruit Magistrates Court in Mpumalanga.
Mkhaliphi told the court that even though Lukhele had maintained that he had not met Gardee, her business partner said Lukhele and Gardee had met before to discuss issues of installing Wi-Fi at Lukhele’s guest house.
“Except that he knew Gardee, the father of the deceased, he said to me he didn’t know the deceased. The deceased at some point went to the applicant’s place at Intsika Guest House to do a Wi-Fi installation. They had a business transaction and they knew each other,” he said.
Mkhaliphi also told the court that two witnesses saw Lukhele with one of his co-accused, Mduduzi Gama, loading the body of Gardee from one car to another. He said that the car used to carry Gardee’s body was also found with blood stains, however, he was still waiting for forensic results.
“There is one witness that saw the applicant with accused three carrying the deceased into one vehicle. They removed her from one vehicle to another. The second witness saw the applicant in a BMW with the deceased on the back seat. The applicant was on the other side sitting with the deceased. This all happened on 30 April. The witness was not sure if the deceased had passed away or she was still alive at the time. She didn’t know who the deceased was at the time but as her pictures were shown in the media, she realised it’s the person that was carried towards the gate of the applicant,” said Mkhaliphi.
He said the only thing that linked Lukhele to the murder was the carrying and loading of the body.
“She was shot execution style in the back of her head next to the right ear. This was confirmed by accused one. There is nothing that links the applicant with the murder except for loading the deceased into a vehicle,” said Mkhaliphi.
Defence lawyer Lesego Kwakwa tried to discredit the evidence of Mkhaliphi. He told the court that the witness was misleading the court about the issue of DNA. He said the DNA which was found in the car did not match that of his client, Lukhele, and that was submitted as evidence in court.
Lukhele, Gama, Sipho Mkhatshwa and Rassie Nkuna are facing charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping, possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition as well defeating the ends of justice.
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They were arrested after the body of Gardee was found dumped in a timber plantation outside Mbombela in May.
The 28-year-old went missing in April and was last at a shopping complex in Mbombela.
The matter was postponed to Thursday, 22 December, for a home affairs official to testify.
