Caught on film: Was this the moment Shrien Dewani 'handed over a bag full of cash to arrange his wife's murder'?
- Previously unseen CCTV images show millionaire meeting the man jailed for organising bride's murder
- Footage was recorded three days after Anni was shot dead in South Africa
- It shows Dewani taking a white plastic bag into a room and, after a brief meeting, Zola Tongo departs carrying the same bag
This is the moment honeymoon murder suspect Shrien Dewani is alleged to have handed a bag of cash to his taxi driver in return for orchestrating the killing of his wife Anni.
The previously unseen CCTV footage shows millionaire Dewani meeting Zola Tongo – who has been jailed for 18 years for organising the murder. It was recorded three days after Dewani’s bride was shot dead in South Africa.
The footage, taken from the five-star Cape Town hotel where the honeymoon couple were staying, shows the two men entering the internet room. Dewani arrives carrying a white plastic bag and, after a brief meeting, Tongo departs carrying the same bag at his side.
Riddle: Shrien Dewani arrives at the internet room of the Cape Town hotel, where he and Anni were staying in South Africa
At the hotel: Carrying a bag, Shrien is followed by Zola Tongo - who has been jailed for organising the murder
The security camera footage from the Cape Grace Hotel has been obtained by the BBC’s Panorama team as part of a programme investigating the murder.
The footage also shows Anni, 28, and Dewani, now 32, kissing and embracing in an apparent display of affection just three hours before Anni was in the hands of her killers.
This contrasts with separate CCTV footage, previously obtained by this newspaper, showing Dewani and Anni walking yards apart that same night.
Tongo later leaves with the bag. He claims the bag contained 1,000 South African rand (about £82) in cash which was his payment for arranging the murder
Previously unseen: The footage was recorded three days after Anni was shot dead
Dewani is accused of paying two hitmen £1,400 to kill his wife. He denies the accusations.
Last year Home Secretary Theresa May rubber-stamped his extradition order after a campaign by Anni’s bereaved family, who demanded Dewani stand trial. He has appealed against the decision to the High Court.
In the footage, Dewani is shown talking to Anni’s father, Vinod Hindocha, after they had been to see Anni’s body at a morgue. Cameras show Tongo, in a white cap, shirt and shorts, walking through the hotel’s front entrance empty-handed.
Dewani then walks towards the internet room carrying the plastic bag, closely followed by the driver. Tongo emerges again, after one minute, with a bag-shaped object bulging under his shirt.
... but do these pictures show a couple in love?
Affection: Dewani and Anni are very touchy-feely in the Cape Grace Hotel just three hours before the tragic bride was killed in a rough suburb of Cape Town
The footage also tracks Anni and Dewani’s movements on the evening of November 13, 2010 – hours before Anni’s disappearance.
She presses her body up against Dewani as they kiss tenderly in the lobby. Briefly, she pulls away as he takes her picture on his phone before she is back into his arms in an embrace.
Earlier, in the hotel bar, Dewani zips up a loose fastening on his bride’s dress, after which she reaches across and strokes his thigh. Dewani then puts his arms around Anni, pulling her in, and they kiss again.
The footage contrasts with CCTV showing the couple at the Surfside restaurant in Strand, a resort 30 miles south-east of Cape Town, which Tongo drove them to.
Changing fortunes: Dewani, pictured with his bride Anni on their wedding day (left) and arriving at court for a hearing last year
At about 11pm, Anni was kidnapped and later murdered as the couple’s taxi drove through the notorious township of Gugulethu.
The distance between the pair appeared to grow in significance after Anni’s cousin, Sneha Hindocha, claimed Anni had tried to call off her lavish £200,000 wedding in India just days before the ceremony.
Sneha said Anni threw her engagement ring at Dewani after an argument.
It was also claimed Sneha received more than 100 texts from Anni which charted a turbulent and at times unhappy relationship with her husband-to-be.
Zola Tongo pictured during his trial in Cape Town High Court in December 2010
Charlotte Harris, the Dewani family’s lawyer, said: ‘Shrien has not been charged with any offence in any country. He is innocent and has always maintained his commitment to clearing his name of all the false allegations against him.’
The Dewani family declined to comment.
Panorama Special: The Honeymoon Murder will be shown on BBC1 on Thursday at 9pm.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2119895/Shrien-Dewani-On-film-moment-Dewani-handed-bag-cash-arrange-wifes-murder.html#ixzz1q7prXS3z