Businessman’s family attack “spurious allegations” in bride murder case

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The family of the Bristol businessman accused of conspiring in the murder of his wife have hit back at rumours, including those of a gay sexual relationship, insisting they “want justice”.

Shrien Dewani, 30, is suspected of arranging the killing of his bride, Anni, 28, on their honeymoon in South Africa last month.

Mrs Dewani was shot dead in Cape Town after the taxi she and Mr Dewani rode in was allegedly hijacked.

The taxi driver implicated Mr Dewani, claiming to have been paid over £1,000 by him to arrange the killing. South African authorities are seeking extradition. Dewani was recently granted bail in the British courts.

Since the murder, rumours have surfaced of an affair between Mr Dewani and a male prostitute.

However, a close relative dismissed insinuations of a rift between Anni Dewani’s relatives and Mr Dewani’s family, saying: “Everyone in both families is stressed out by these spurious allegations and wants justice.

“There are good relations between the families.”

Mr Dewani’s relative added that he had lost “the woman of his dreams”.

“He’s distraught and devastated, he’s lost weight and is completely shaken.

“He’s completely traumatised, he can’t sleep, he can’t eat, he keeps getting flashbacks.”

PR guru Max Clifford said of the allegation that Dewani had been involved with a 39-year old German prostitute: “It is categorically denied. Shrien Dewani has never had a sexual relationship with a man in his life.”

The taxi driver, Zola Tongo, was jailed for 18 years last week. His sentence was reduced from 25 years after he implicated the British businessman in the killing. Two other men are accused of murder, aggravated robbery and kidnapping.

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