Cop denies knowing about accused being tortured to admit their involvement in Joshlin Smith's disappearance

SALDANHA BAY - Another police officer has denied having knowledge of the accused in the Joshlin Smith trial being tortured to admit they were involved in the child's disappearance.

A detective in the anti-kidnapping unit is being cross-examined on Tuesday about allegations related to two of the three accused being beaten and threatened with death to confess what happened to Joshlin.

The little girl's mother, Kelly Smith, Jacquen Appollis and Stevano van Rhyn, are charged with kidnapping and human trafficking in the Western Cape High Court sitting in the Saldanha Bay Multi-Purpose Centre.

Sergeant Dawid Fortuin told the court he did not witness Appollis and Van Rhyn being tortured by police colleagues when he interrogated them on 6 March last year.

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The accused claim they were beaten and told they would be killed if they did not admit to being involved in Joshlin's disappearance.

Fortuin said that Appollis and Van Rhyn later confessed to leaving Joshlin with Phumza Sigaqa, also known as "Maka Lima", on instruction from Kelly Smith on the day the child went missing.

Charges against Sigaqa were withdrawn after police found no evidence against her.

Appollis' lawyer, Fanie Harmse, questioned Fortuin about whether he knew his client was tortured before he made the confession.

"Like I said, your worship, nothing was reported to me."

Fortuin told the court that Appollis said he sustained his injuries after falling out of a police van and during a scuffle while being arrested.