'I'll take it like a man'
2008-08-12 08:40
Philip de Bruin
Cape Town - "Tomorrow morning I'll sit in prison an innocent man."
These were the words of Christoff Becker on Monday before he rushed to Cape Town International Airport to catch a flight to Johannesburg so he could report on time on Tuesday morning to begin serving his 12-year prison sentence.
"I'm innocent. We were involved in an incident that night but we didn't murder anyone.
"I'm not a murderer but I'm sure I'm not the only innocent person in this country to be sent to jail," he said.
"Of course I'm dreading what's ahead. It's not a nice thought. But I'll take it like a man.
"I feel more sorry for my parents, my younger brother and my fiancée. I'm not the only one serving a prison sentence. Indirectly they're serving the sentence with me," Becker said.
Will appeal
His lawyer Harry Pretorius said on Monday afternoon that Becker's application for leave to appeal in the Constitutional Court "will definitely be submitted on time".
The legal team representing the other three members of the Waterkloof Four said on Monday evening that they would also turn to the Constitutional Court.
Only hours after his clients were locked up, Reinach Tiedt, Frikkie du Preez and Gert van Schalkwyk's lawyer Oeloff de Meyer confirmed that they would submit an application for leave to appeal to Judge Pius Langa.
"We (De Meyer and Advocate Jaap Cilliers, SC) have identified two or three constitutional points that justify an application for leave to appeal in the Constitutional Court.
"We shall submit the application to the court at the end of this week or next week.
"I gave them the good news this afternoon shortly before they were taken in and I promised them I would do everything in my power to take the application successfully through the Constitutional Court.
"I won't disappoint them."
- Beeld