HONEYMOON murder accused Shrien Dewani has been hospitalised after an apparent suicide attempt, the Justice Ministry said yesterday.

Spokesperson Tlali Tlali told Sapa: "Indeed ... we were notified by legal representatives of Dewani that he was admitted to hospital (on Sunday) in what appears to be a suicide attempt."

Dewani's publicist Max Clifford was quoted on BBC News online as saying Dewani was being treated at the Bristol Royal Infirmary.

He would not confirm reports on an alleged attempted suicide.

"Shrien has been suffering for some time. His family and friends have been getting increasingly concerned about him," Clifford said.

"He was taken to hospital on Sunday afternoon and doctors were concerned because he's been getting weaker and weaker."

Anni Dewani was found dead in Khayelitsha in November in a shuttle she and her new husband had been driving in. On their way back to Cape Town, the vehicle turned off to Gugulethu, where Shrien has said he was eventually pushed out of a window - with the taxi driving off with Anni still inside.

Driver Zola Tonga was sentenced to 18 years after he made a statement saying Shrien commissioned him to get hitmen to kill his wife.

On Monday, the NPA accused the media of not understanding the role of the judiciary and the criminal justice system after reports criticising NPA head Menzi Simelane for the statement he made during an SABC3 interview.

Simelane was quoted as having said: "The fact here is that the accused that is sought to be extradited came to the country and committed a very heinous crime."

The critics said this amounted to Simelane prejudging the case; and questioned whether Dewani would get a fair trial.

NPA communications head Bulelwa Makeke said: "It must not be lost to members of the media that the NPA has already taken a decision to prosecute in this case and charges have been prepared. If the prosecutors did not believe he was guilty, why would they charge him?"