Another postponement to April for Panayiotou murder case

The case against Port Elizabeth businessman, Christopher Panayiotou, and his two co-accused, alleged triggerman, Sizwezakhe Vumazonke, and Sinethemba Nemembe, who allegedly planned a faked a hijacking that resulted in the murder of loved Port Elizabeth teacher, who was also Panayiotou’s wife, Jayde, in April 2015, suffered another postponement in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

The case will now be heard again on 18 April.

It is alleged that Panayiotou paid Luthando Siyoli, 31, a bouncer at his nightclub in Algoa Park, R75 000 to hire a hitman, Vumazonke, 30, for the murder. Late in October last year, Nenembe, 28, who is related to Vumazonke, was also linked to the case. Siyoli has since turned State witness.

The latest postponement comes after the prosecution revealed that it is still waiting for Panayiotou’s cellphone records from Apple in the United States.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said its investigation is “99 percent” complete except for the cellphone information and Panayiotou’s financial information, which is expected to play a crucial role in the State’s case.

It is one of the State’s allegations that Panayiotou could not afford to support two women financially – his wife and his alleged mistress, Chanelle Coutts, a Manager at one of his businesses, so he arranged for his wife’s murder.

Panayiou was expected on Friday to hear the hear the date of the start of his trial, but now will appear in count almost exactly one year since Jayde’s body was discovered just outside Uitenhage.