|
Farmer robbed himself - cops
27/06/2007 08:01 - (SA)
Marietie Louw-Carstens, Beeld
Levubu. - A Limpopo MEC had to intervene when a police station commander accused a local farmer who had just lost thousands of rands in a robbery, of stealing his own money in order to commit insurance fraud.
Humbulani Makhuvha, the commanding officer of Levubu's police, even threatened to arrest banana farmer Johan Furstenburg for obstruction of justice.
Beeld heard that Agriculture MEC Dikele-di Magadzi had to step in last week to defuse the situation.
As the former Limpopo MEC for Safety and Security, Magadzi had built up strong ties with farmers in the Levubu district.
Attacked on farm
The row began last Thursday when Furstenburg was attacked on his banana farm by four masked gunmen.
Provincial police spokesperson Mohale Ramatseba said the robbers had forced Furstenburg to open his safe at about 05:45, after which he and a worker were tied up with ropes and pushed into the same safe.
The robbers sped off with a large sum of money, a Toyota Landcruiser, a cellphone, and Furstenburg's wallet.
Stephen Hoffman, who farms in the district and is a member of the Transvaal Agricultural Union (TAU) SA North, said Furstenburg had another cellphone, which he used to call the Levubu police.
However, no-one answered the telephone.
After Furstenburg had been freed by some of his workers, one of them went to the police station to report the robbery.
Obstruction of justice
"The commanding officer summoned Furstenburg to his office, because he wanted more information," Hoffman said.
Marie Helm, manager of TAU (SA North) said when Furstenburg visited Makhuvha's office, he was accused of stealing the money himself in order to commit insurance fraud.
Furstenburg's partner Chris Esterhuyzen was also summoned.
Both men dismissed the accusation as ludicrous.
When Furstenburg and Esterhuyzen said they didn't know why Makhuvha was making the accusations, he threatened to have them arrested for obstruction of justice.
Hoffmann said "a telephone call to someone high up in the government solved the problem". He did not want to elaborate, but Beeld heard that Magadzi was called.
Magadzi's spokesperson, Segoati Mahlangu, confirmed on Tuesday that she had "assisted" Furstenburg.
He did not want to expand on that.
- Beeld
|
News
