Shrien Dewani Hires Max Clifford To Handle A Voracious Media
SHRIEN Dewani and the death of Anni Dewani. Mr Dewani has hired the ubiquitous publicist Max Clifford to handle the media on his behalf. The bereaved groom whose wife was kidnapped and murdered on their honeymoon in South Africa has been speaking to the press. Why bother?
Well, There is a whispering campaign against him. He is not a suspect in the crime. Three men have been arrested. This is a criminal case and the facts are all.
The First Post sums up the whispers and the facts:
South African police think murder of Anni Dewani may have been planned
Well, if the taxi driver the couple hired has been arrested, one Zola Tongo, the allegation of a conspiracy seems worth a mention.
…Dewani faces a hostile local media which has seized on what it sees as holes in the bereaved husband’s account of the newlywed couple’s ordeal – and an unattributed promise from the police of an “explosive revelation” to come.
And, in case you should jump to wrong conclusions:
The police also believe there is more to this case than a random carjacking, but they believe Shrien is innocent.
Well, they have not one shred of evidence to suggest anything else. Why mention that the police believe Mr Dewani is innocent? What the police do or not believe is immaterial. Their job is to gather evidence and build a case.
But the media has another job it sees fit to enact:
Meanwhile, it isn’t only the South African press asking questions of Shrien Dewani. The Sun reported on Friday that PSP Healthcare, the company Dewani runs with his father and brother, is £6.25m in debt.
This South African news site publishes news on Shrien’s business at the top of its story of his innocence:
In a startling new development in the police’s all-out drive to solve the murder of British honeymooner Anni Dewani, investigators think the Gugulethu hijacking of Anni and her husband Shrien Dewani may have been a planned hit. They have said “an explosive revelation” would be made soon.
This information came from a well-placed police source yesterday, just under a week after Anni Dewani, 28, was shot dead in a case that has made international headlines.
Yesterday the British tabloid The Sun reported that Shrien Dewani, 30, who owns PSP Healthcare, a British health care company, with his father and brother, was £6.25 million (about R70 million) in debt…
Mail & Guardian, Michael Trapido:
According to in the Weekend Argus quoting Melanie Peters: “It is understood the driver of the taxi shuttle, who was hired by the British couple and picked them up at the airport, has turned state witness. The driver’s lawyer, William da Grass, yesterday confirmed there had been “further developments”.
Da Graass says his client will, well, grass…
The tall man, dressed in a blue tracksuit zipped up to his chin, appeared bewildered as he was brought into the dock. It was established through a translator that he did not have a lawyer and the case was postponed to November 25 to allow him to acquire legal representation.
Zola Robert Tonga, 31, appeared in Cape Town’s Wynberg regional court yesterday with second accused Mzwamadoda Qwabe, 26.
They were remanded in custody at Pollsmoor Prison until next Monday.
Tonga reportedly offered to turn state witness and tell police why Dewani and her husband Shrien were hijacked in Gugulethu 10 days ago and Anni later murdered. He reportedly wanted a suspended sentence in exchange.
International Criminals:
National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele took a British journalist to task on Thursday for asking for an assurance that no more tourists were going to be killed in Cape Town.
“You (in the United Kindgom) are not crimeless,” Cele said. “We should not come here as if we are spotless in our own countries.”
Posted: 23rd, November 2010 | In: Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
