Honeymoon murder: Husband won’t return to South Africa for probe

LONDON - An Indian-origin man whose newly-wedded wife was murdered while they were honeymooning in South Africa, would not return to that country, his publicist said Friday after a media report claimed he was wanted by the police for questioning.

A South African newspaper claimed Friday that detectives want the millionaire businessman, 31, to return to Cape Town for questioning over the killing of his 28-year-old bride.

Shrien Dewani, who flew into South Africa from Britain with his wife Anni Dewani for their honeymoon, will not return to that country, the Daily Mail reported citing his publicist Max Clifford Friday.

Clifford said: “This poor man has been through a living nightmare. To be clear, Shrien has not been told that he is being considered a suspect.”

“In fact, the police have told him he is not a suspect. He has told the police he will cooperate fully with their investigation and, of course, he will do so.”

Clifford added: “Every day we are hearing more bogus claims and lies. It has been said Shrien will return to South Africa but I can tell you he is at home and under sedation after the shock he has been through.”

Dewani had told the world media how he was dragged away screaming from his wife after being attacked by gunmen as they visited a Cape Town township Nov 13.

She was found dead on the back seat of the vehicle the next day, four days into the couple’s honeymoon.

The Mail & Guardian has alleged that suspicions have swung towards the groom and added that the National Prosecuting Authority would begin extradition proceedings if the Bristol-based care home boss refused to fly back for questioning.

The claim follows days of speculation over the circumstances which led to the Dewanis being hijacked as they were taken on a late-night detour through the Gugulethu township.

Dewani has insisted that he was the innocent victim when two gunmen held up their taxi around 11 p.m., before forcing the driver out of the vehicle.

The trained accountant said he was also later thrown out of the Volkswagen Sharan and that the hijackers then drove off with his wife.

Friends earlier this week said he feared being “set up” by South African police who were under political pressure to pin the murder on someone outside of the country.

Three men have since been arrested and charged over the tragedy, including the taxi driver.

The newspaper claimed suspicions over the Briton’s alleged involvement in the murder were increased when a post-mortem examination revealed Anni Dewani had not been sexually assaulted.

Officers were reportedly also puzzled about the relatively

low value of items stolen from the couple.

The paper quoted an unnamed legal source who also questioned why the entrepreneur had not returned to South Africa to pick his alleged attackers out of an identity parade.

The source said: “If I was him, I would be hotfooting it over on a plane to identify them.”