Fire season: Choppers cleared

2009-11-25 20:02

Cape Town - Helicopters will be available for the coming fire season in the Western Cape following a recent court ruling, Working on Fire (WoF) said on Wednesday.

In the ruling, handed down last week, Western Cape High Court Judge Dennis van Reenen released two helicopter engines and a helicopter which were attached in May this year, the organisation said in a statement.

The helicopters and engines, worth R50m, were attached after Swiss businessman Arnoldo Lascala, of Silvercraft Helicopters, alleged that he had not been paid for them by Executive Helicopters.

Executive Helicopters was owned by controversial businessman Gary van der Merwe who is appearing in the Western Cape High Court on fraud charges.

Managing director of WoF Aviation, Johan Heine said in Wednesday's statement that the judgment upheld the legal opinion of its attorneys that the original order to attach was unfounded and unlawful.

He said that 300 trained wildland firefighters would be on standby at bases throughout the region.

WoF would provide five fixed-wingspotter planes, six helicopters and five helicopter support vehicles for the fire season from December to April 2010.
 

- SAPA