Cape Town claim Shrien Dewani wedding booked as a convention
‘No pretence’ over Dewani wedding ‘booked as a convention’, Max Clifford tells CN. Shrien Dewani, who is fighting extradition to South Africa to stand trial for the murder of his wife, Anni, allegedly booked his lavish wedding as a three-day convention through his family company PSP Healthcare.
The claim was made in Cape Town’s Mail & Guardian this week.
The five-star Renaissance Hotel and Convention Centre in Mumbai, the newspaper claimed, had acknowledged giving a ‘convention’ discount because of the good business it received from PSP Healthcare.The newspaper said the father of the bride, Vinod Hindocha, had told them he paid two-thirds of the wedding costs. “I was happy to pay my share, which I handed to Shrien,” Hindocha was quoted as saying.
Reports in the UK press said the wedding cost £200 000. If this bill was accounted for as a ‘convention’ cost, British tax authorities might take a dim view if PSP tried to claim the expense unless it was treated as a fringe benefit or remuneration to PSP director Shrien Dewani, a legal source added.
Shrien Dewani’s publicist Max Clifford tells CN:
“There was no pretence and no tax deduction. The wedding was paid for by the Dewani and Hindocha families personally. PSP Group has travel and event management capabilities. At the request of both families it assisted with the significant administration, logistics and organisation of the series of events in Mumbai.”
PSP owns nine nursing homes and old-age care villages in the UK.
Dewani, from Bristol, was arrested in Britain two weeks ago and is out on £250,000 bail. He has always denied any part in his wife’s death and will reappear in court in January to fight extradition to South Africa.
Mr and Mrs Dewani were ambushed in their taxi in the township of Gugulethu, near Cape Town.
Two men forced the driver, Zola Tongo, and Mr Dewani out of the car before driving away with Mrs Dewani still inside. Her body was found the following day with gunshot wounds.
The two alleged gunmen, Xolile Mngeni, 23, and Mzwamadoda Qwabe, 26, were arrested and charged with murder. They are due to stand trial in February.
A South African Department of Justice spokesman, Mthunzi Mhaga, said he was confident Dewani would be extradited and that he would be back in South Africa “very soon”.
24 Dec 10
