The Justice Department is expected to receive extradition documents this week for Shrien Dewani, the British honeymoon tourist accused of having his wife murdered in South Africa, SABC news reported on Monday.
The National Prosecuting Authority would forward the legal documents to the Director General of the department for his consideration, spokesperson Tlali Tlali said.
The DG had to be “satisfied” that the documents fulfilled the extradition requirements of the European Union Convention.
Tlali said part of the process involved going through an extradition enquiry.
During the enquiry the British court would decide whether Dewani had committed an “extraditable offence”. In return Dewani would have the opportunity to challenge aspects of the information, Tlali said.
Reports earlier on Monday said the private investigator hired to look into the 2007 killing of Pox Raghavjee — whose widower has been linked to British murder accused Shrien Dewani — believes his hijacking could have been a hit.
The Eastern Cape-based Daily Dispatch newspaper quoted Christian Botha, a private investigator who was hired by Raghavjee’s wife, as saying the family had welcomed reports that the police would re-open their investigation into his murder.
“I spoke with Yashin Raghavjee, Dr Pox Raghavjee’s son, this morning [Sunday] and he told me that the family were happy that the case was being re-looked into and they are excited,” said Botha, who was quoted in the Daily Dispatch‘s sister newspaper, the Sowetan.
He said the family did not want to comment on weekend media reports that there could be a link with the killing of tourist Anni Dewani.
The man who fingered Shrien, taxi driver Zola Tongo, said in a plea bargain with the state that her honeymoon murder had been plotted by her husband. Tongo also said he got the impression that Shrien had plotted another murder in South Africa and that someone had been killed in a fake hijacking.
National police commissioner Bheki Cele told the SABC at the weekend: “We are continuing investigations. There are new revelations about the Eastern Cape … So lets see what’s going on.”
Raghavjee was killed in an apparent hijacking in 2007 but nothing was stolen during the murder. Raghavjee’s widow reportedly flew to Cape Town last month to support Shrien Dewani after his wife’s death.
Botha said: “It’s very difficult to comment at the moment but what I will say is that a lack of evidence at the crime scene of Dr Pox Raghavjee’s murder and the fact that nothing has come to light about the murder in the past three years suggests it could have been a professional hit.”
Anni Dewani was killed on November 13 after an alleged hijacking set-up in Gugulethu. The hijackers — two men have been arrested and are to appear in court again in February — released her husband unharmed but shot her dead, and did not steal the car.
Shrien Dewani has been released on bail in Britain and is set to appear in court again in January after the South African government requested his extradition. — Sapa