Najwa answers anger observers

2008-07-30 10:38

Verashni Pillay

Cape Town - Murder accused Najwa Petersen's repeated claim on Tuesday that she could not recall details of events leading up to the murder of her husband Taliep has angered the entertainment legend's family.

"The title of her book will be 'I can't remember' and you'll open the book and it will say: 'I can't remember, the end'," Taliep's sister, Maatoema Groenmeyer told News24 as she left the Cape High Court with friends and family.

"When she gets cornered and trick questions get thrown at her then she says I can't remember."

Petersen, 46, took the witness stand for the first time on Monday in the dramatic trial. She stands accused of masterminding her husband's murder in December 2006.

Fourth advocate

She answered questions from Johan Engelbrecht, the fourth advocate to represent her after she fired two and another pulled out after she could no longer pay him.

Engelbrecht slowly took her through the details of the events running up to the murder, often asking her to speak up and leaning forward to hear her. Her answers were brief and muted. Englebrecht and Judge Siraj Desai's questions about times and details were frequently met with "I don't know" or "I cannot recall" from Petersen.

"When her own advocate, who is supposed to be on her side, throws a question and she simply says she cannot remember then I don't know why she took the stand," said Groenmeyer, who Petersen called the night of the murder to say Taliep had been shot.

Peteresen testified she was on the phone with Groenmeyer when she heard the shot, but Groenmeyer denied hearing a shot.

"It's a blatant lie," she told News24. "If I had heard the shot I would have had to live with it every day and I would have been in the mad house instead of her."

Guilty?

Several spectators from the close-knit community told News24 they believed Petersen, who has frequently used her history of mental illness in her defence, was lying and guilty of killing the popular musician.

Taliep's father, Mogamat Ladien Petersen, 78 sat in the front row of the public gallery on Tuesday, his hand folded as he wearily watched Petersen testify. Taliep's two daughters, Jawaahier, 22, and Aeesha, 19, who sat alongside him on Monday were not present.

Petersen, dressed in a navy blue suit, was lead to the cell when court adjourned, frantically gesturing and mouthing to her son Achmat Gamieldien and his wife, seated at the back of the court.

The legal defence for co-accused Waheed Hassen and Jefferson Snyders will question Peteresen on Wednesday.

It is the State's case that Petersen approached Fahiem Hendricks to find hitmen to kill her husband and offered to pay R100 000 for the hit.

Hendricks, who is a State witness, approached the third co-accused Abdoer Emjedi, who allegedly recommended Hassan and Snyders.

- News24