A judge has dismissed the case against Shrien Dewani, who
was accused of arranging the murder of his wife Anni in South Africa.
Judge Jeanette Traverso said the evidence presented by the
prosecution fell "far below the threshold" of what a reasonable court
could convict on.
She said the evidence of the prosecution's main witness,
taxi driver Zola Tongo, was "riddled with contradictions" and
"highly debatable".
Mr Dewani will now be released.
Announcing her ruling, the judge said: "The accused is
found not guilty of this charge."
She said the only reason not to grant the application would
be in the hope that Mr Dewani would implicate himself if he gave evidence .
But to do so would be a "manifest misdirection",
she said.
Mr Dewani, from Bristol, was extradited to South Africa this
year to face trial accused of planning the murder of his wife in November 2010.
He listened intently as key evidence against him was
criticised by the judge as she gave her ruling over almost three hours.
Mr Dewani, 34, went straight down to the cells to prepare
for his release, following the decision, as his family embraced.
Mrs Dewani's family, who had said it would it be a
"nightmare" if the trial did not continue, immediately left the court
room.
They bowed their heads amid shouting from the public
gallery.
The judge said the evidence from the three criminals already
convicted over Mrs Dewani's murder was "so improbable, with so many
mistakes, lies and inconsistencies you cannot see where the lies ended and the
truth begins".
Dewani, 34, has always denied plotting with others to murder
his bride, who was found shot dead in the back of their taxi after the couple
was hijacked during a late-night tour of a township.
Prosecutors said bisexual Mr Dewani had long planned to get
out of the relationship to Swedish-raised Anni, and arranged the attack in
which he would escape unharmed and Anni would be killed.
[BBC]
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