The man Nat Fraser says could have been behind his wife's disappearance 14 years ago has admitted he lied to police.
Hector Dick, 56, spoke to officers shortly after Arlene Fraser vanished in April 1998, the High Court in Edinburgh was told.
Jurors heard that he said in his statement: "I have no idea what happened to Arlene or where she may be. I have no thoughts on the matter."
Defence counsel John Scott, QC, who read the statement to the jury, put it to Mr Dick: "That, you accept, is a lie."
The witness replied: "Yes."
Mother-of-two Mrs Fraser, of Smith Street, New Elgin, Moray, has not been seen since she vanished on April 28, 1998 at the age of 33.
Fraser, 53, denies acting with others to murder his wife and pleads alibi and incrimination, saying if the alleged offence was committed, it could have been committed by Mr Dick. Mr Dick, a farmer, was giving evidence for a third day at the trial of his former friend.
The court has heard that the Frasers separated in the month before Arlene vanished and Nat had moved out of their home.
On Friday Mr Dick said Fraser had admitted paying a hitman £15,000 to kill Arlene. The witness said Fraser also told him his wife's body had been burned and her teeth "ground up".
The court heard yesterday that, in a statement given to police after she vanished, Mr Dick denied buying a car on behalf of anyone else. The witness agreed with Mr Scott that he had lied to officers.
The jury heard Mr Dick also told police, that he could not recall Fraser being at his house the day before Mrs Fraser vanished, that he had not stored a beige Ford Fiesta on his land and that he had no further information about Mrs Fraser's disappearance.
"You said all of that. Almost every word a lie," Mr Scott said during cross-examination.
"Yes," replied Mr Dick.
The witness also admitted lying to police, when interviewed under caution on December 17, 1998, about the extent of his involvement in selling bootleg alcohol. Mr Dick insisted: "I always try to tell the truth, in life in general."
Mr Scott suggested this was "other than in connection with your involvement in Arlene Fraser's disappearance and other than in connection with your involvement in bootlegging".
The jury of eight women and seven men has previously heard there was an earlier trial in 2003 in which Mr Dick and two others had been accused of murdering Mrs Fraser.
The trial continues.
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