Man hurtles to his death
2003-07-31 21:51
Zoubair Ayoob
Durban - A man being investigated by the Scorpions in connection with fraud of R1.6m
leaped to his death from the elite investigative unit's offices in
Durban on Thursday.
Etienne Holtzhausen and five others were arrested in May in
connection with the fraud. The six were remanded until June when
they were granted bail of R50 000 each.
Under conditions attached to the
bail, Holtzhausen was required to report to the Scorpions offices between
07:00 and 18:00 daily. The offices are in the Southern Life building in Field
Street, one of the tallest buildings in central Durban.
Scorpions spokesperson Sipho Ngwema said Holtzhausen was being
investigated in connection with other fraud when it was discovered he was
allegedly planning to defraud government employees of R1.6m. He and
his colleagues, in Gauteng and Polokwane, allegedly had the salary numbers
of 40 000 government employees and were to set up debit orders to "draw" R40 from each employee's salary.
Ngwema said Holtzhausen had given Scorpions investigators a statement on Thursday and was being led to another office when he grabbed a sheaf of
papers and smashed a hole in a window with his head. He then jumped to his
death.
Police spokesperson Director Bala Naidoo said Holtzhausen was apparently called
in for questioning by the Scorpions after he had allegedly skipped bail on
fraud and murder charges. The Independent Complaints Directorate would
investigated the incident.
Ngwema said Scorpions boss Bulelani Ngcuka and Justice Minister Penuell
Maduna had been informed of the incident.
- The Witness