[miningmx.com] — SLAIN mining magnate Brett Kebble’s murder trial was set to continue in the High Court in Johannesburg on Monday morning, more than five years after he was shot dead.
Convicted drug smuggler Glenn Agliotti is on trial for the killing, which he claims was an assisted suicide.
The trial heard several witnesses testify in August, including Kebble’s former butler, Andrew Minnaar, who said there was always political talk in the house.
Kebble’s former friend, media liaison officer Dominique Ntsele, told the court Kebble was jovial and making plans for the future on the night of his death.
The court also heard that Kebble used “ghost phones” in the names of fictitious people. The phones were used by Kebble and his partner John Stratton.
The butler testified that Kebble had a separate phone for former African National Congress Youth League leader Fikile Mbalula, who is currently the deputy police minister.
Three witnesses, hitman Nigel McGurk, boxer Mikey Schultz and fellow state witness Faizel Smith, told the court that Kebble had the “biggest kahunas” because he had endured three attempts at his “assisted suicide”.
The trio testified that they bungled the killing several times – first when their car overheated and then when the gun jammed twice the following night before the fatal shots.
Agliotti is the accused in the murder case because of his alleged involvement in the payment of the hitmen.
Kebble was shot dead in his car in Melrose, Johannesburg, on the night of September 27, 2005.
