Former policeman on trial for Dr Sewram murder
Former policeman Brian Treasurer is alleged to have been paid by Rajivee Soni to hire two men to kill Dr Bhavish Sewram.
Read more on Public Eye Maritzburg
The much-anticipated High Court trial of former policeman Brian Treasurer got off to a slow start on Monday, with proceedings starting shortly after mid-day – instead of 10 am.
Treasurer, 53, together with his co-accused Mfaniseni Nxumalo are on trial for the murder of Pietermaritzburg doctor Bhavish Sewram. Their trial was separated earlier this year from that of the alleged murder mastermind Rajivee Soni – one of Sewram’s good friends. Earlier this year the matter had to again be adjourned as Treasurer had not turned up at court due to his hospitalisation.
Soni, 37, is charged with Sewram’s murder plus five additional charges of defeating or obstructing the course of justice, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and conspiracy to commit murder. He is out on R10 000 bail. Dlamini, the triggerman, pleaded guilty to the murder in March last year and was sentenced to 25 years.
Sewram, a father of two young girls, was shot in the neck, arm and back by a hooded gunman outside his surgery in Chota Motala Road on the night of May 13, 2013. He died at the scene.
The State alleges that when Soni discovered his wife, Kerusha, was allegedly having an affair with Sewram, he embarked on a campaign to drive him out of town. When that failed, he decided to have Sewram killed.
Soni’s “quest for vengeance” allegedly involved concocting charges of sexual assault against Sewram on two occasions. When these came to naught, he allegedly hired two people to shoot Sewram with a high-powered paintball gun using solid projectiles instead of ordinary paintballs.
On October, 24, 2012, Sewram was shot several times with a paintball gun, causing abrasions and bruises of his right forearm and his scalp.
When Soni realised all his plans had been thwarted, he allegedly turned to murder.
One of the charges against Soni alleges that Soni offered one Mlungisi Sithebe R100 000 to kill Sewram.
Sithebe allegedly pretended to agree to the plan, but instead alerted Sewram to Soni’s plot.
The State alleges Soni later approached Treasurer, with the same offer to kill Sewram.
Treasurer then secured the services of Nxumalo and Dlamini to commit the murder.
Slain Dr Bhavish Sewram’s parents Doc and Nalini were in court on Monday. Picture: Mark Wing
