Insurance murder case half-heard with six additional charges

Update

GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - The hearing of the case against the two accused in the so-called insurance murder, Nomphelo Maloyi and Lwazi Kay, is underway and expected to be concluded during the week of 8 to 12 July.

Maloyi and Kay were initially charged with the premeditated murder of Moloyi's 66-year-old uncle, Mynhardt Maloyi, whose body was found inside his house in Henry Street in uMasizakhe, Graaff-Reinet in November 2022.

However, according to WO Nkohli Majola, spokesperson for SAPS in the Sarah Baartman district, six additional charges ranging from murder to insurance fraud have subsequently been added to the murder charge.

The accused appeared in court for the first time on 12 December 2022. Their initial bail applications were denied, and they remained in custody.

They applied for bail again early last year, but these bail applications were heard for the first time on 24 April last year following a few postponements. The state opposed both bail applications and called upon the investigating officer, detective Monwabisi Morley, to testify to the reasons why bail should be denied. According to Morley's testimony Maloyi approached Kay to kill her uncle because she had taken out a life insurance policy on his life and wanted to get her hands on the payout. Kay agreed to "do the job" after Maloyi promised to pay him R20 000 as soon as she received the policy payout. He was supposed to "finish the job" on 23 November 2022, but since he had difficulty finding the house it was not done. It is alleged that, on the evening of 24 November 2022 Maloyi and Kay, both dressed in black, headed to her uncle's house together. When he opened the door, they entered his house and tied him to a chair. Maloyi allegedly started stabbing him with a knife and then handed the knife to Kay who 'finished the job'.

After several postponements of their formal bail hearings, both accused's bail applications were denied on 23 June last year, primarily based on the nature and extent of the crimes allegedly committed.

On 9 January the duo's case was referred to the high court after the District Public Prosecutor determined that the information contained in the investigation report is of such serious nature that it can no longer be heard in the regional court.

At present, the matter is in the defence's case. This means that the prosecution has presented its case and now the trial is focused on the presentation of the defence's case.

However, according to Luxolo Tyali, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, the trial has been postponed to allow for logistical, procedural, and practical considerations to be addressed before the case is continued.

It has been confirmed that the court will reconvene on 8 July.

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