One of those accused of murdering Hilary Gordy told the Nelspruit Magistrates Court in Mbambela, Mpumalanga, how he was tortured and left bleeding profusely.
Mduduzi Gama took the witness stand and told the court that after his arrest, the police choked, electrocuted and kicked him. Gama and his co-accused, Philemon Lukhele, are applying for bail.
Gama, Lukhele and Sipho Mhatshwa were arrested for murdering Hilary Gardee.
Gordy, the daughter of former Economic Freedom Fighters general secretary Godrich Gordy, was found dead in a timber plantation in April, days after she was reported missing.
The suspects are charged with murder, kidnapping, rape, obstruction of justice and conspiracy to commit murder.
The court heard how police reportedly tortured 52-year-old Gamma for hours to retrieve the firearm used to kill Hilary Gordy.
Gama described his ordeal in court in his bail application.
“They suffocated me with a plastic bag, kicked me [me] all over my body and gave me an electric shock, and I couldn’t feel my legs.”
#hilarygardy Gama says the police took him to Entika and the White House (guesthouses owned by Lukhele) in search of firearms. He claims they found nothing, after which they continued the attack, he felt and hit his head on the hard tile floor #SABCNews pic.twitter.com/HTT2VFfilM
— Tumelo Machoga 🇿🇦® (@IamTumelo) August 16, 2022
Earlier, his legal representative, Nkabizita Mlila, appealed to the court to explain in detail the charges against the accused, as well as clarify the additional charge of conspiracy to commit murder.
The state told Mlilo that the allegations are clear, as detailed in court filings. Allegedly, the three suspects were overheard as they planned to destroy the witness while in police custody.
Mhatshwa was denied bail by a Nelspruit court three weeks ago. Bail hearings for Gama and Lukhele are expected to resume on Thursday.
Meanwhile, police have confirmed the arrest of a fourth and fifth suspect in Gordy’s murder.
#hilarygardy Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brig. Selvi Mohlala says the suspect is a Nigerian national in his 30s #SABCNews pic.twitter.com/PrReJ1rxF2
— Tumelo Machoga 🇿🇦® (@IamTumelo) August 16, 2022
The suspect has yet to appear in court.
