OMEN
05-03-2006, 10:57 PM
Pretoria - One of the two men who escaped from holding cells at Pretoria High Court during the Boeremag treason trial is believed to be the organisation's "money man", with access to a R40m inheritance.
He is Herman van Rooyen, 33, who went missing with Rudi Gouws, 28 during the lunch break.
"There's no update," said director Sally de Beer, national police spokesperson, shortly before 20:00 when asked about the escaped men.
She said it was also too early to say how they might have escaped, but this would be investigated.
De Beer said: "We have launched a massive search to track down these two, and are investigating the circumstances under which they went missing."
Lured into a police trap
Van Rooyen was caught in Pretoria in December 2002 in a bakkie rigged with 384kg of explosives and two bags of nuts and bolts for shrapnel.
At the time, it was speculated that the car bomb was meant for a soccer game between Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
The evening before Van Rooyen's arrest, Gouws was caught when he was lured into a police trap in Pretoria.
Their trial began in late 2003. Along with them were 20 other men, also charged with plotting a rightwing coup d'etat.
They face 42 charges, among them murder, attempted murder, treason, terrorism, sabotage, and arms and explosives offences.
The trial was postponed several times due to problems with legal aid board payments, lawyers and matters such as the accused complaining of loud music in prison.
At one stage, the accused threatened urgent legal action when correctional services informed them they were to be put in communal cells while their single cells were being renovated at Pretoria Local Prison.
Caught with five phone cards
They were eventually moved to a closed-off section at C-Max after negotiations with the department.
In 2004, a woman due to visit Van Rooyen was caught trying to smuggle five pre-paid telephone cards and a personal letter to him.
This year, several witnesses have testified that the explosions that rocked Soweto and the Buddhist Temple in Bronkhorstspruit, were set off allegedly as part of the Boeremag's campaign.
The trial was adjourned until Thursday, when it will be decided whether it will proceed without the two men or not.
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He is Herman van Rooyen, 33, who went missing with Rudi Gouws, 28 during the lunch break.
"There's no update," said director Sally de Beer, national police spokesperson, shortly before 20:00 when asked about the escaped men.
She said it was also too early to say how they might have escaped, but this would be investigated.
De Beer said: "We have launched a massive search to track down these two, and are investigating the circumstances under which they went missing."
Lured into a police trap
Van Rooyen was caught in Pretoria in December 2002 in a bakkie rigged with 384kg of explosives and two bags of nuts and bolts for shrapnel.
At the time, it was speculated that the car bomb was meant for a soccer game between Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
The evening before Van Rooyen's arrest, Gouws was caught when he was lured into a police trap in Pretoria.
Their trial began in late 2003. Along with them were 20 other men, also charged with plotting a rightwing coup d'etat.
They face 42 charges, among them murder, attempted murder, treason, terrorism, sabotage, and arms and explosives offences.
The trial was postponed several times due to problems with legal aid board payments, lawyers and matters such as the accused complaining of loud music in prison.
At one stage, the accused threatened urgent legal action when correctional services informed them they were to be put in communal cells while their single cells were being renovated at Pretoria Local Prison.
Caught with five phone cards
They were eventually moved to a closed-off section at C-Max after negotiations with the department.
In 2004, a woman due to visit Van Rooyen was caught trying to smuggle five pre-paid telephone cards and a personal letter to him.
This year, several witnesses have testified that the explosions that rocked Soweto and the Buddhist Temple in Bronkhorstspruit, were set off allegedly as part of the Boeremag's campaign.
The trial was adjourned until Thursday, when it will be decided whether it will proceed without the two men or not.
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