Close X
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
ADVT 
International

Freed Of Murder Charge, British-indian Businessman Shrien Dewani To Return Home

IANS, 09 Dec, 2014 12:48 PM
    An Indian-origin businessman from Britain, Shrien Dewani is preparing to leave South Africa after a judge cleared him of arranging the murder of his wife on their honeymoon, media reported Tuesday.
     
    Dewani, 33, was accused of ordering the murder of his wife, 28-year-old Anni Dewani, who was shot on the outskirts of Cape Town in November 2010 during the course of their honeymoon, BBC reported.
     
    On Monday, Deputy Judge President Jeanette Traverso of the Western Cape High Court dismissed the case against him, after describing evidence from prosecution witnesses as "riddled with contradictions".
     
    Anni's family said they were heartbroken that the case was dismissed before Dewani testified.
     
    "We feel as a family that the justice system has failed us and we are deeply disappointed," Anni's sister Ami Denborg said.
     
    "We came here looking for answers and we came here looking for the truth, and all we got was more questions."
     
    "We would have preferred to have known about his secret sex life with male prostitutes and the activities he engaged in before he married Anni," Denborg said referring to Dewani's admission in court that he was bi-sexual.
     
    Judge Traverso said claims by the chief prosecution witness, cab driver Zola Tongo, about the murder were "riddled with contradictions", "highly debatable" and the evidence from the prosecution was "far below" the required threshold.
     
    Three men - Tongo, Mziwamadoda Qwabe and gunman Xolile Mngeni - have already been convicted for their part in the murder, which happened during a late-night tour of a township when their chauffeur-driven car was hijacked.
     
    Dewani was in South Africa as he was extradited from Britain in April to stand trial for Anni's murder.
     
    He faced five counts, including kidnapping, murder, and defeating the ends of justice, and has pleaded not guilty to all of them.
     
    He has maintained that he and his wife were the victims of a hijacking Nov 13, 2010.
     
    Dewani was thrown out of the car later that night and Anni's body was found the next day with a single gun shot wound on her neck.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    MH17 black boxes arrive in Britain

    MH17 black boxes arrive in Britain
     The two black boxes of the crashed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 arrived in Britain Wednesday for analysis, Ukraine's investigation commission said....

    MH17 black boxes arrive in Britain

    Fighting in Gaza will end 'in very near future': UN chief

    Fighting in Gaza will end 'in very near future': UN chief
    UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday that he believed his talks with world leaders will lead to an end to the ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas "in the very near future"....

    Fighting in Gaza will end 'in very near future': UN chief

    China's super collider a game changer?

    China's super collider a game changer?
    A proposal by China to build a "Higgs factory" by 2028 - a 52 km underground ring that would smash together electrons and positrons - has raised the possibility...

    China's super collider a game changer?

    UN warns of possible Israeli war crimes in Gaza

    UN warns of possible Israeli war crimes in Gaza
    UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay Wednesday warned that Israeli military attacks on Gaza could constitute a war crime, as the...

    UN warns of possible Israeli war crimes in Gaza

    Research questions satellite data over Antarctic sea expansion

    Research questions satellite data over Antarctic sea expansion
    The Antarctic sea ice may not be expanding as fast as previously thought, a new research suggests, adding that there may be a processing error in the satellite data...

    Research questions satellite data over Antarctic sea expansion

    N-talks extension sign of political will: Iran

    N-talks extension sign of political will: Iran
    The extension of talks on Iran's nuclear programme is an indication of a "political will" on both sides toward reaching a final agreement, an Iranian official said Wednesday....

    N-talks extension sign of political will: Iran