Exchanges on Monday between Najwa Petersen’s senior counsel and Najwa’s sister-in-law, Tagmieda Johnson, during cross-examination in Najwa’s bail application provided lively scenes in the Wynberg Regional Court.
Najwa is in custody, awaiting trial, for the alleged murder of her entertainer husband, Taliep.
Johnson, Taliep’s sister, had last week told the court her brother had been a very private person, but had treated her as his sole confidante and had loathed talking to anyone other then herself about his personal problems.
Johnson often answered questions and suggestions, put to her by Herbert Raubenheimer, with ”I cannot comment”, and at times even refused to make concessions such as agreeing that she could not dispute situations put to her as fact.
Often, while Raubenheimer remained calm, Johnson became agitated by questions.
At one stage, when Raubenheimer informed her that Taliep’s diary seemed to indicate that Sheik Ebrahim Mallie had been Taliep’s confidante, and not Johnson, she replied: ”I dispute that profoundly, because I was Taliep’s confidante, not him.”
When Johnson finally agreed it was possible to have more than one confidante, she exclaimed: ”You must give me a chance, please.”
Raubenheimer responded: ”I am giving you all the chances in the world.”
Then, in an angry outburst, she said: ”If Mallie was Taliep’s confidante, did Taliep tell him about such private things as his early childhood?”
Raubenheimer urged her to calm down and not to raise her voice, to which she said: ”It’s easy for you to talk, but I have to suffer the pain of knowing my brother has gone — I am a human being and it’s not easy to sit here and listen to you.”
Raubenheimer assured her he was only trying to get to the truth.
The application was postponed to December 6 for closing argument.
No illicit diamond deals
Meanwhile, Taliep had not been involved in illicit diamond transactions, the court heard on Monday.
Captain Wayne van Tonder, of the Western Cape organised crime unit, said this emerged from his investigation into the matter.
He was testifying in Najwa’s bail application.
Van Tonder was shown an entry in Taliep’s diary, which had suspiciously referred to ”three stones”, and the $3,5-million profit that the stones would give the buyer.
Van Tonder said he had discussed the entry with the Kimberley chief of the gold and diamond branch, who had said the terminology used in the diary entry was not that used in illicit diamond transactions.
He said the diary entry also referred to the weight of the stones as one ton each, which was impossible, and a 24-month contract.
Van Tonder said he had discussed the entry with the authorities at the De Beers diamond group, and they also had ruled out the entry as a reference to illicit diamond deals.
He had also examined Taliep’s bank statements over a period of years, and all the transactions reflected on the statements had been normal and above suspicion.
He said his investigations revealed Taliep to be a man interested only in his musical profession, and not financial matters.
The application continues on December 6. — Sapa