Questions about the authenticity of telephone records in a murder case arose at a circuit court hearing in Pinetown in Durban.

The records were presented as evidence to prove the alibi defence of former wrestling and show promoter Shane Jaipal, who is accused of murder.

Jaipal has pleaded not guilty to murdering his former lover, Argentina Loutsaris, by forcing her car off the road, dousing her with petrol and setting her alight on October 21 1997.

Last week, Jaipal's defence counsel, Chris Snyman, presented Justice Hillary Squires with telephone records which indicated that Jaipal was in Umtata on the day of the murder, as he has claimed.

Telkom employee Vicky Panday said a call was made from Loutsaris's phone to an Umtata number on the morning of October 21.

Jaipal said he had phoned Loutsaris from Umtata, where he was on personal business, and had asked her to phone him back.

University of Transkei employee Mantsi Sethunthsa confirmed that she remembered Jaipal and had taken a call for him in her office.

On Friday, another Telkom employee, Pierre Grobbelaar, said none of the numbers indicated on the "Flexibill" account sheet Panday had presented to the court were listed on the account sheet he had obtained.

Both are for Loutsaris's telephone.

Grobbelaar said he had no explanation for the discrepancy, but conceded that calls could have been made which had not been captured by the computer.

He said he did not know enough about the equipment and computer system to explain how this could happen.

Judge Squires has ordered that Panday be recalled, and the trial has been postponed to Tuesday.

With acknowledgements to Sue Blaine and Independent Online.