Durban – The involvement of a KwaZulu-Natal private investigating company in the arrest of the accused in the Siam Lee murder remained the theme for the first day of his bail application.
Defence lawyer Advocate Martin Krog picked excerpts from posts on the Facebook page of Brad Nathanson Investigations, the company that seemingly played a leading role in the arrest of Lee's alleged killer.
"We know that not every problem may be solved through rational disclosure. Some may be solved by application of force," was one of the lines quoted from Nathanson's Facebook page before court.
READ: PI company under scrutiny in Siam Lee accused bail application
Earlier in the day, Krog kept his focus on the arrest of his client, drilling holes in the procedure used by the private company to make the "arrest". His client testified that Nathanson was with him at his home for up to an hour before police arrived.
Krog had his client, who cannot be named as he has not pleaded to the rape charge, explain how police, during his arrest, allegedly attempted to coach him into a specific confession.
In the second session of the day, the accused testified that even after police arrived at his home to arrest him, Nathanson and his team remained in the vicinity.
Claims of police brutality
He claimed that police threatened him when they arrived.
"They told me I was going to leave confessing to killing Siam Lee or I was going to leave in a body bag (sic). There were exact things they wanted me to say."
He then went on to accuse police of brutality.
"When I refused to confess, a police officer went to a car and fetched an evidence bag. They used that to put it over my face and they strangled me with it twice outside."
The accused said that was when a team of forensic experts arrived to search his house and car, both allegedly without his permission or documentation.
"They found items in my car and my house and they made me stand next to them while they took pictures."
Nathanson at identity parade
He added: "When we left the house, some of the items recovered by the forensics team were taken by Brad Nathanson. They just gave it to him."
At the Durban North police station, where he was first detained, the accused said he was paraded in front of men wearing Marshall Security golf shirts.
"A female police woman came and asked if I could step outside. I got up and walked out, there was a group of four or five white men wearing golf T-shirts saying Marshall Security. The lady who opened the cells said this is the guy for Siam Lee (sic)."
He said a few days later, during an identity parade, Nathanson was once again at the Durban North police station.
The accused said police had also initially refused to let him speak with his lawyer prior to the parade.
"The investigating officer stepped outside and did something, came back inside and he said: 'Your lawyer says he is at church'. I said: 'I would like you to phone him and put him on loud speaker'. There was an argument between me and the officer."
'He could only have got that from my phone'
He said his attorney was eventually notified.
Krog went on to display a picture in court of the accused that was allegedly on Nathanson's Facebook page. The accused said the picture was only on his phone.
"He could only have got that from my phone. I do not have any social media whatsoever."
Lee went missing early in January. Her body was eventually found in a cane field in New Hanover.
The matter continues on Thursday, where the accused will be cross-examined by the prosecution.
