The defence attorney for alleged wife killer Arnold Terblanche wrapped up his arguments during a bail hearing in the high court in Gqeberha on Friday, reiterating his client’s innocence.
In his closing arguments, Peter Daubermann said though Terblanche had paid more than R500,000 to Phindile Zweni, who had alleged he could help him with his case, that was not reason enough to keep him behind bars any longer.
Daubermann’s lengthy heads of argument in Terblanche’s formal bail application based on new facts, which stretched over nearly three days, culminated in the attorney telling magistrate Kriban Pillay that the state had no case against his client.
“[Terblanche] has been kept in custody for 11 months on the flimsiest evidence [and] the state’s case is falling down like a deck of cards.
“We have proved that [Terblanche] will be acquitted at trial,” Daubermann said.
Terblanche was arrested on November 17 last year and charged with the murder of his estranged wife, Vicki, whose body was found in a shallow grave on a plot in Greenbushes on October 23.
She had been reported missing by her boyfriend, Reinhardt Leach, two days earlier.
Terblanche, Leach and Dylan Cullis have been charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and defeating the ends of justice.
While Terblanche has indicated that he intends pleading not guilty, Leach and Cullis have abandoned their bail applications, with Cullis entering a plea bargain with the state.
A fourth person allegedly involved in the murder, Mario De Ridder Jnr, has turned state witness and has given a statement which allegedly details the role players in the murder.
Terblanche was arrested again on October 4 and charged with conspiracy to commit murder and six counts of conspiracy to defeat the ends of justice.
It is alleged Terblanche was introduced to Zweni as a high-ranking police official who could help him with his case by a senior department of correctional services official.
Terblanche allegedly paid more than R500,000 to Zweni and gave him a car for him to help interview Pillay about the circumstances of his case, have the investigating officer removed from the case and influence two judges who heard his application to appeal against Pillay’s decision not to grant him bail after finding that he had not presented new facts.
Daubermann said Terblanche had given legitimate reasons for forking out the money to Zweni, whom he thought would help him with his case.
The matter was postponed to November 10 for the state to present its heads of argument.
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