Anni Dewani: The Trial By Media Of Shrien Dewani
SHRIEN Dewani: The death of Anni Dewani continues to fascinate the media.
The Mail leads the way. Following its headline:
Family fury over ’slurs’ against husband of bride murdered in South Africa
Readers now get:
MURDERED Anni was in tears on honeymoon flight
Three men have been charged with the death of Anni Dewani: Zola Tongo, 31, Xolile Mngeni, 23, and Mzwamadoda Qwabe, 26.
Still. Whisper. Whisper. Another man is being sought. And the Mail says:
Police want to ask the wanted man whether he acted as a link between Anni’s British husband Mr Dewani and Tongo.
What about that family fury over “slurs”, eh, readers? There is not once shred of evidence linking Mr Dewani with the death of his wife. The case is open and ongoing. But, still, the media speculate.
Mr Dewani denies any wrongdoing. He has hired Max Clifford to handle the media. And the heat is being turned up. On the allegation that Mrs Dewani was in tears on her honeymoon flight, the Mail writes:
Yesterday Anni’s father, Vinod Hindocha, added to the mystery surrounding the case when he telephoned The Mail on Sunday and said: ”We have heard that the air hostess noticed they were sitting separately and Anni was crying. The air hostess apparently asked Anni if she would like to sit with Shrien, but Anni said no.”
This follows: “Murdered bride’s father: My son-in-law is innocent.”
Mr Hindocha adds:
It is not clear where this information originated from, or indeed how it was passed to Anni’s family. Pressed to elaborate, Mr Hindocha said: “We are not sure, it is something you will have to check out.”
Odd, indeed. But the facts are clear. One woman is dead. Three men are arrested. Mr Dewani is not a suspect and states his innocence.
Still, the Mail adds more speculation to the embers:
Simbonile Matokazi, 33, a local government auditor, says the businessman did not appear to have been thrown from the car on to sand, as Mr Dewani initially claimed. Neither does Mr Matokazi’s testimony support the 30-year-old’s later assertion that he was dragged ‘struggling and screaming’ out of the passenger window.
He said Mr Dewani “had a suit on and a nice shirt underneath” and looked neither ruffled nor bruised. We just saw a decent guy,” he added. Mr Matokazi’s observations were endorsed by a police source closely involved in the investigation.
But he never saw it. He only saw Mr Dewani after the event.
Says Mr Dewani’s lawyer Billy Gundelfinger:
“There has been no court case, nothing has come out of his mouth and everything they are reporting has come out of somebody else’s mouth.”
Says Mr Dewani’s British lawyer, Charlotte Harris:
“Any suggestion that there was hostility between the couple on the aeroplane or at any other point during the honeymoon is completely false.”
The media trial goes on…
Posted: 29th, November 2010 | In: Reviews Comments (3) | TrackBack | Permalink
