Details emerge in 'evil spirits' lawsuit
Lawyer Kadhila Amoomo yesterday insisted that his client Kennedy Kasumi, who is accused of swindling a pensioner out of her house while allegedly acting as a traditional healer, is no one's saviour.
Kasume stands accused of robbing Elizabeth Neis of her house under the pretext of cleansing it of evil spirits.
Neis's brother-in-law Edward !Aoxamub yesterday told the High Court that she apparently saw Kasume as her saviour.
He also testified that Kasume had tried to distance her from her relatives at all cost.
“He [Kansume] accused us of interfering with her life. He told her that if she told anyone about the house, she or her children would die,” he said.
He added that his sister-in-law was in serious financial trouble and Kasume saw that as an opportunity to exploit her vulnerability.
“She borrowed money around and we had to help her out because she did not have food to eat,” said !Aoxamub.
At this point Amoomo interjected that Neis was so desperate for money that she had sold her house to his client.
“She had an unquenchable desire for money, which drove her to selling her house,” said Amoomo.
However, !Aoxamub insisted that his sister-in-law was depressed and not in her right mind at the time, a situation that Kasume exploited.
According to him Neis only realised that she was being swindled when he took her to the courthouse to watch proceedings in a similar case in which an elderly woman had lost her house to an alleged pastor.
“It was like a movie to see your own life playing out in front of your eyes. She was so depressed, she almost had a breakdown,” he said.
!Aoxamub testified that Neis had seen a psychologist several times.
In response, Amoomo informed the court that his client is not a pastor or a saviour.
“My client is saying he is not a saviour, or in the business of saving people,” he said.
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JEMIMA BEUKES
Kasume stands accused of robbing Elizabeth Neis of her house under the pretext of cleansing it of evil spirits.
Neis's brother-in-law Edward !Aoxamub yesterday told the High Court that she apparently saw Kasume as her saviour.
He also testified that Kasume had tried to distance her from her relatives at all cost.
“He [Kansume] accused us of interfering with her life. He told her that if she told anyone about the house, she or her children would die,” he said.
He added that his sister-in-law was in serious financial trouble and Kasume saw that as an opportunity to exploit her vulnerability.
“She borrowed money around and we had to help her out because she did not have food to eat,” said !Aoxamub.
At this point Amoomo interjected that Neis was so desperate for money that she had sold her house to his client.
“She had an unquenchable desire for money, which drove her to selling her house,” said Amoomo.
However, !Aoxamub insisted that his sister-in-law was depressed and not in her right mind at the time, a situation that Kasume exploited.
According to him Neis only realised that she was being swindled when he took her to the courthouse to watch proceedings in a similar case in which an elderly woman had lost her house to an alleged pastor.
“It was like a movie to see your own life playing out in front of your eyes. She was so depressed, she almost had a breakdown,” he said.
!Aoxamub testified that Neis had seen a psychologist several times.
In response, Amoomo informed the court that his client is not a pastor or a saviour.
“My client is saying he is not a saviour, or in the business of saving people,” he said.
[email protected]
JEMIMA BEUKES
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