Witness D murder suspect allegedly found with cellphone in prison
Matipandile Sotheni had allegedly been communicating with an individual about the murder case.
A cellphone allegedly linked to former elite police officer Matipandile Sotheni was discovered during a search of his cell at the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre, according to prosecutors in the murder trial of Marius "Witness D" van der Merwe. The cellphone was found in the catwalk of Sotheni's cell block, though no other items were recovered inside the cell itself.
State prosecutor Trott Mphahlele informed the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court that the device was one of several cellphones discovered, and preliminary investigations suggested Sotheni had been communicating with individuals outside the correctional facility. The prosecutor stated that investigators needed to download the contents of the phone to determine the nature of the communication.
The investigation also involves analyzing cellphone movements in relation to the murder vehicle and comparing them with information obtained from the late Wiandre Pretorius and his fiancée, Juan-Maré Eksteen. Sotheni, who faces 16 charges including murder and conspiracy to commit murder, is accused of being the gunman in van der Merwe's killing, while Pretorius is alleged to have driven the vehicle used in the attack.
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