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Joshlin Smith Case: Mother is said to Deny Selling Daughter to Sangoma
Kelly Smith, the mother accused of kidnapping and human trafficking in the Joshlin Smith case, has denied claims that she sold her daughter to a sangoma for R20,000. Her lawyer, Rinesh Sivnarain, told the Western Cape High Court in Saldanha Bay that Smith will challenge the testimony of the State’s key witness, Lourentia Lombaard.
Mother Challenges Key Witness Testimony
Lombaard previously testified that she saw Smith sell Joshlin and was later offered hush money to stay quiet. However, Sivnarain argued that Lombaard was protecting herself and her boyfriend, Ayanda Letoni, by implicating Smith and co-accused Jacquen Appollis and Stevano van Rhyn.
According to Sivnarain, Lombaard was the last person seen with Joshlin before she vanished. He told the court that Smith went to Lombaard’s shack after realizing her daughter was missing, only to find both Lombaard and Joshlin gone, with Letoni unable to explain their whereabouts.
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Suspicion Falls on Another Suspect
During her testimony, Lombaard claimed she took Joshlin to make her a sandwich before returning her to Appollis at Smith’s shack. However, Smith’s defense suggests that Letoni, who fled to the Eastern Cape days after Joshlin disappeared, may have been involved in the child’s abduction.
As the trial continues, the court will assess conflicting testimonies in the search for the truth behind Joshlin’s disappearance.
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Sourced:EWN
