Johannesburg: A court on Friday denied bail
to a man suspected of collaborating with UK-based NRI
businessman Shrien Dewani to kill his Indo-Swedish wife on
their honeymoon in South Africa.
The development came a day after 31-year-old Dewani
was granted bail by a UK court after his father insisted his
son would go on to prove his innocence.
The lawyer for Mziwamadoda Qwabe, one of the men
accused of staging a fake hijacking and killing of 28-year-old
Anni Dewani last year, told the court that there was no
evidence his client would evade his trial, interfere with
witnesses or commit other offences if he was released on bail.
The lawyer questioned why his client could not be
released on bail like Dewani, South Africa`s Independent
newspaper reported.
The Wynberg Regional Court, however, turned down the
bail plea after state prosecutor argued that Qwabe had failed
to show that exceptional circumstances existed for his
release, the paper said.
Dewani is accused of hiring a hitman to murder his
wife and collaborating to stage a hijacking.
In an alleged confession submitted to the court, Qwabe
had accepted that he had driven the "hijacked" vehicle when
Anni was shot dead.
But Qwabe has told the court that the confession was
coerced as he had been beaten up at the time of his arrest in
November, and that he intended to plead not guilty.
After the court hearing, Qwabe was escorted to another
courtroom where he appeared with his co-accused Xolile Mngeni,
who has been identified as the man who pulled the trigger, in
the disputed confession.
The case was adjourned to June 1 for further
investigation.
Another accused, Zola Tongo, is serving an 18-year
sentence after he pleaded guilty to his part in the murder.
PTI
