'Diamonds led to Taliep's death'

2007-10-29 08:04

Linza de Jager

Cape Town - Taliep Petersen's last diamond deal led to his death.

This was told to Cape Son by a friend of the murdered musician and his wife Najwa.

It was confirmed in a sworn statement by Najwa's son, Suleiman Effendi, that was submitted to the Wynberg Regional Court last week.

The statement says the following, among other things: "The black book contained inscriptions regarding expenses and two huge diamond deals."

"My impression was that dollars and diamonds were involved and that the transactions fell through."

Knew about the money

According to the friend, Taliep and another man - currently a witness in the singer's murder case - had agreed to negotiate on December 16 2006, the night of the murder.

"For this purpose the man took R300 000 with him. He planned to take the money back again. He knew about the dangerously huge amount of money in Taliep's safe..." said the source.

Cape Son reported earlier on a diamond transaction worth R2m in which Taliep was apparently involved.

In the above-mentioned case Taliep allegedly paid two-thirds of the asking price before he discovered that the shiny stones were counterfeit.

The man is a witness in the murder case against Najwa Petersen, Abdoer Emjedi, Walleed Hassen and Jefferson Snyders.

But according to Cape Son's source, the man acted as Taliep and Najwa's diamond and dollar salesman throughout 2006.

Taliep gave him the nickname "Hymie".

The R300 8202 that was supposed to be paid over to Taliep on the night of the murder, was apparently mentioned before the recent Eid festivities in Rylands.

Regarding the night of the murder, the source said: "Taliep opened the front door for the man that night."

"It wasn't Najwa. She was in bed. She couldn't go down the stairs without falling."

"Nanny and Koekie van Wyk (two domestic workers) had to help Najwa up and down the stairs."

The friend said he'd seen the diamonds in Taliep's sound studio. "Taliep never spoke of diamonds, but of 'klippies' or a 'parcel'."

"Some of the diamonds came from the Democratic Republic of Congo. They were handed to Taliep in coffee shops, and at his luxury home in Grassmere Street, Athlone," he said. The friend explained that Taliep had been under great financial strain.

"He wanted to buy a house for his daughters. He wanted to invest in a fountain in Faure, but he didn't have the money."

"He also did not have the money to invest in Anaat Grape Juice."

According to the source it was the same story when Taliep had wanted to buy the Luxurama Theatre in Wynberg a few years ago. The source said that "gangster types" used to come to the house in Grassmere Street, Athlone.

"Their faces and arms were tattooed. Taliep said 'they're my friends, and friends of friends'. Taliep was a dangerous man; very charming, very religious, but gullible up to the end," claimed the source.

- Kaapse Son