Evidence goes missing in Limpopo murder case

Evidence has mysteriously dissapeared from a judge's chambers in the murder case of businessman Rameez Patel.

Polokwane high court judge Joseph Raulinga was yesterday forced to postpone delivering judgment in the case and slammed some court officials as he revealed that there was missing evidence and recordings had been tampered with in the case against the Limpopo businessman.

Raulinga said he was gravely concerned that a CD recording in the trial was missing and some of the evidence tapes were deleted.

Patel is on trial for allegedly murdering his wife, Fatima, in their apartment in Nirvana, Polokwane, in 2015, claiming she was shot by an intruder.

The court heard that Patel's defence had obtained the recording through a private company contracted to the courts.

"I want the person who gave the defence my recordings to depose an affidavit in which the whole process is detailed. This person must write down the chain of events." Raulinga said.

"I want that on record as to how did the recording leave this building."

Raulinga said he was no longer certain that some of the court recordings were bona fide. "Many strange things are happening in this case. It is very strange and surprising that the judgment I delivered in February against the discharge of Patel is now incomplete.

"My judgment starts in the middle. Even some of my evidence in the office are misplaced. I can't even find my handwritten notes and I think some officials seem to be captured," Raulinga said.

He further told the court that a court registrar who was supposed to administer an oath has since disappeared.

Patel's lawyer Mishack Thipe said they obtained the recording through the services of a private company which is responsible for the recording system in the same court.

"We wrote them a letter asking for their help. However, we don't know who they spoke to between the court officials."

Raulinga demanded the defence hand over the letter.

The judge yesterday dismissed Patel's application for leave to have him discharged for Fatima's murder.

Delivering the judgment, Raulinga said the application by Patel has no merit and was a fishing expedition aimed at derailing the proceedings.

"This case started in 2016 and there have been delays all along. Most of the delays were caused by the accused," he said.

Thipe wanted the accused discharged because the oath was "improperly administered and demanded that the evidence be declared invalid".

He further said the court considered hearsay evidence. "We are going to petition judge president Ephraim Makgoba and we are optimistic our appeal will be granted," he said.

The case was provisionally postponed to September 30.

Patel is expected to return to the Limpopo High Court next year to stand trial for the murder of his mother, Mahejeen, who was also killed in Nirvana in 2017.