Lotzes fear proof 'disappearing'

2008-09-08 09:08

Carryn-Ann Nel

Cape Town - The Van der Vyvers are not going to get involved with "nonsense", said Fred van der Vyver's legal representative, Advocate Dup de Bruyn, SC, in response to new allegations about his client made by the parents of the murdered Inge Lotz.

Jan and Juanita Lotz brought an application to the Cape High Court on Friday to find the suspected murder weapons - an ornamental hammer and a sport shoe belonging to Van der Vyver.

They asked that the two objects - which "are needed to prove that he murdered their daughter" - were handed over to them as they feared they could be tampered with or that they could disappear, the Lotz's spokesperson, Dani Cohen, said in a statement.

"The Lotz family is prepared to spend every penny that they have to let the law take its course and for the court and only the court to hold Mr van der Vyver responsible for Inge's death," said the statement.

Their daughter was murdered in her Stellenbosch flat in March 2005. Van der Vyver, her former boyfriend, was accused of the murder but found innocent on November 29 2007. He is suing the State for R46m for wrongful arrest.

The Lotzes are in turn suing Van der Vyver for about R8.5m for their emotional suffering, as they still believe he was responsible for their daughter's murder.

Inaccurate facts

De Bruyn said on Sunday he wanted to rectify the "inaccurate facts" that had been sent out into the world.

According to him, there was no urgent application.

"It is a routine notice in terms of court rules that they [the Lotzes] want to inspect the objects. In response to the notice, our lawyer informed them on Friday that they could inspect the objects on Monday or Tuesday in my presence. I am waiting for their call to organise a time," he said.

"The objects were not removed from the safekeeping of the judge's office. Days after the verdict, police gave them to Fred as his property.

"Fred called me immediately when he got them and I then took possession of them straight away. The shoes and the hammer have been only with me since then.

"To say there is a fear that there will be tampering, or they will disappear, is absolute nonsense and rubbish."

- Die Burger