Knysna-Plett Herald | Cocaine trial: Burmeister questioned

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Cocaine trial: Burmeister questioned
12:06 (GMT+2), Mon, 14 May 2012

KNYSNA NEWS - Well-respected Knysna detective, Warrant Officer Johann Burmeister is again in the stand today, Monday, May 14, after starting his testimony on Friday.

Burmeister will be cross-examined by the defence regarding the false statement he had given previously about video footage taken of activity at the Knysna Quays in the vicinity of The Toledo in 2010.

"I was simply trying to protect the person who had taken the footage who told me he feared for his life as he had heard about the dangers of messing with the Chinese triads," explained a calm Burmeister in the stand on Friday.

"He said that when one looked at the footage, it would be quite easy for the viewer to determine from exactly where he had filmed the Chinese and he did not want to expose his family to any danger because of it."

It is expected that the three Cantonese suspects' defence lawyer, Anthony Broadway, will be keen to question Burmeister about his inaccurate statement, as it had been used to decline the bail application of Accused Number 2, Zhi Zhong Liu (52).

Judge Nathan Erasmus reminded the court that it's been established that Liu only arrived at George Airport on December 10, 2010, the day The Toledo returned from the open sea, making it impossible for him to have been on board when the boat had departed from Knysna five days earlier.

Read Friday's news flash about the trial here.