Interpol testimony in Saat case
2003-10-14 21:58
Johannesburg - A police superintendent from Interpol gave testimony on Tuesday in the Johannesburg High Court jurisdiction hearing of diamond dealer Lior Saat - accused of murdering the estranged husband of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's close friend, Gauteng socialite Hazel Crane.
Madikizela-Mandela, who has attended a number of the Saat court sessions, was at the High Court again on Tuesday to lend moral support to her friend.
Saat, 33, an Israeli national who has been in South African custody since April 2001, is challenging the jurisdiction of the Johannesburg High Court. He claims he was kidnapped from Mozambique and brought to South Africa illegally.
The diamond dealer faces 13 charges, including intimidating Crane - Saat allegedly held a gun to her head - and murdering her husband, fellow diamond dealer Shai Avissar. Avissar was battered to death near Sunninghill, east of Johannesburg.
The defence alleges that Saat's arrest on the South African side of the Lebombo border post was arranged illegally by the police services of South Africa and Mozambique.
Called to testify to the contrary by the prosecution, Captain J Aylward and Sergeant J Krieger of the SA Police Service told the court last week they received information in April about Saat's impending arrival at the border.
They said the information was from a man alleging to be an interpreter for Maputo criminal investigations commissioner Director Thabo Remane.
Drive-by shooting
Following up the information, police decided to proceed to the border post and arrested Saat upon his arrival in South Africa. Krieger and Aylward said there was no communication between them and the Mozambican official who transported Saat to the border.
Saat was allegedly being deported because his Mozambican visa had expired. Krieger and Aylward said the SAPS remained on the South African side of the border the entire time and arrested Saat only once he had crossed into South African territory of his own accord.
Testifying on Tuesday, Interpol Superintendent George Rogers told the court of Interpol's repeated failed attempts to get Remane and a Sergeant J Manuel, also from the Mozambique police, to testify at Saat's jurisdiction hearing.
Rogers said he consistently received the reply that Remane and Manuel "were unavailable to attend court".
Throughout Tuesday's proceedings, an armed policeman sat behind Saat. On June 14, 2001, Saat was wounded in a drive-by shooting while being transported to the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court from the old Brixton police cells. Another prisoner being transported with him was shot dead.
The jurisdiction hearing continues on October 27.
- SAPA