Meyiwa murder trial: Defence disputes phone number that allegedly connected the accused and mastermind

JOHANNESBURG - The defence in the Senzo Meyiwa trial has disputed that a number alleged to have made contact with all the accused belongs to the alleged coordinator of the football star’s murder.

Data analyst Lieutenant Colonel Gideon Gouws was on Thursday testifying in the Pretoria High Court on the data found from cellphones linked to two of the accused.

But the defence has disputed the links drawn between the accused during the analysis.

Forensic cop Lieutenant Colonel Gideon Gouws says he was called to take out the analysis of two cellphones allegedly found on the second and fifth accused, because Lieutenant Colonel Lambertus Steyn who did the initial analysis had gone on retirement.

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In his affidavit, Gouws quotes parts of Steyn’s statement specifically on a number believed to belong to one of the accused Fisokuhle Ntuli having made contact with all the accused.

The number is saved as Lungisani on the phone linked to Bongani Ntanzi, accused number two.

But Ntanzi’s lawyer has denied that this number belongs to Ntuli.

"My instructions for accused number two is that he does indeed know that Lungisani person and that Lungusani person is not accused number five Fisokuhle Ntuli – it’s a different person at all – they are allowed to make calls from the public phone in prison and he does speak to this number on weekends."

The confession statement by Ntanzi painted Ntuli as the coordinator in the murder of Meyiwa – and the driver on the day of the crime.