Murder bail hearing: voice recordings that may discredit state witnesses

A CHATSWORTH caregiver and her son, accused of strangling her employer who had hired her to care for his bedridden wife, appeared in court for their bail application.

New voice recordings may discredit key State witnesses in what was initially declared a natural death.

Kogie Adilutchmee Moodley, 54, and her son, Delon Moodley, 25, were charged for the murder of Stephen Narayanasami Chetty, 56, who had died on April 25.

It was alleged they were driven by greed when they plotted to kill Chetty. 

Chetty was initially declared as dead due to natural causes, but was found to be strangled.

In the Chatsworth Magistrate's Court yesterday, it emerged that there was evidence in the form of voice recordings that would discredit two of the State’s key witnesses.

Attorney Shireen Soobrathi, acting on behalf of both accused, said she had provided the State with a copy of the recording on a USB.

Soobrathi said the recordings were a conversation between a group of people, including two key State witnesses, who incriminated themselves in the conversation.

She said the audio would be sent to Johannesburg for transcribing and it would be presented as evidence during the bail application when it continued.

Mystery death

Chetty’s sister, Shirreen Govender, said her brother employed Kogie as a caregiver to his wife Rumba two years ago after she suffered a stroke.

She claimed Kogie had led them to believe her brother had died of a heart attack at his home, and produced a letter from a general practitioner that stated that he died of natural causes.

But after becoming suspicious, Govender said she insisted that family members inspect his body at the mortuary. She said there were bruises on his neck, back, arms and buttocks, and his legs had fresh lacerations.

The bail application continues.

THE POST