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Port Elizabeth - The State re-opened its case during Christopher Panayiotou’s bail application on Tuesday afternoon by alleging that his phone was wiped clean of information shortly after his wife’s murder last month.
Prosecutor Marius Stander said the investigating officer had found certain information after the court had requested clarity on Panayiotou’s Cypriot passport and flights.
After being given permission to re-open its case, and with no objection from the defence, he read out the affidavit by Investigating Officer Kanna Swanepoel.
Swanepoel had requested Panayiotou’s cellphone to check for an SMS from the Cypriot embassy informing him that this passport was ready for collection.
On looking at the phone, it was found that it had been wiped clean and that no information was available before April 26 2015.
His 29-year-old wife Jayde, a-Riebeek College teacher was killed on April 21.
Swanepoel stated that forensic services were unable to recover any information prior to that, including any indication that Panayiotou had received the SMS relating to the Cypriot passport.
The affidavit was entered into the record.
Panayiotou, 28, faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder, murder‚ kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances and defeating the ends of justice. Thando Siyoli‚ 31‚ and Sizwezakhe Vumazonke‚ 30‚ are Panayiotou’s co-accused.
His lawyer responded to the submission of the affidavit on Tuesday afternoon, saying the evidence before the court was clear and the applicant applied for the passport in 2013.
He said there was no evidence, save for blatant speculation by Swanepoel, that the passport had made its way to his client.
Panayiotou said he did not know that the passport had been issued.
The lawyer said Panayiotou had deleted information off his phone because he did not want evidence of his sexual relationship with mistress Chanelle Coutts to become known.
It was not to hide information relating to his passport.
He added that Panayiotou found it strange that the State painted a picture of him on the one hand as a pauper who was unable to afford two women, and on the other, as a globetrotter.
Price elaborated on the trips his client had taken, saying the one to Zanzibar was with Jayde and to propose to her. A trip to Bangkok was an en-route destination to Phuket, Thailand, where they had gone on honeymoon.
