Brian Treasurer to remain as accused in doctor murder trial

Judge finds no relevance to Treasurer’s application for a dismissal of the murder charges he faces

he application for the State’s case to be discharged against former policeman and murder accused Brian Treasurer was dismissed in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Friday by Judge Anton van Zyl.

Treasurer is standing trial for the May 2013 murder of Pietermaritzburg doctor Bhavish Sewram. The State has alleged that Treasurer, acting on the instructions of Rajivee Soni (also accused of Sewram’s murder in a separate trial) carried out the killing of Sewram by hiring his co-accused Wiseman Nxumalo and convicted killer Sabelo Dlamini.

Dlamini, in his evidence, has placed Treasurer at the scene, saying he had shot and killed Sewram on Treasurer’s instructions. Earlier in the week, a pastor gave evidence that both Dlamini and Nxumalo had told him that they had been approached to “kill the doctor”.

The state has further alleged that Soni wanted his close friend Sewram dead after he suspected him (Sewram) of having an extra-marital affair with his wife, Kerusha.

Sewram was killed by Dlamini shortly while leaving his surgery on Khan Road, Raisethorpe.

Treasurer’s legal representative Bob Bahadur, in bringing the application for Treasurer;s discharge said no common purpose had been proven by the court between Soni and Treasurer. Bahadur emphasised that none of the events described or mentioned in evidence, directly involved Soni and Treasurer. He said evidence given by Dlamini was not substantial to convict Treasurer and that it was Nxumalo who was associated with Dlamini and not Treasurer.

Bahadur maintained that Treasurer, did not, in any way, procure the services of either Dlamini or Nxumalo to kill Sewram. He said, rather, that it was Dlamini who was associated with Nxumalo.

In dismissing the application Judge van Zyl said he could find no relevance or case history to support Treasurer’s application.

“If twenty people are caught robbing a bank, and if two of those twenty can not be proven to be in association with the crime, it does not mean that all the charges have to be dropped,” said van Zyl.

The trial continues on Monday.