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FW 'didn't know of Chikane plan'
22/07/2007 22:57 - (SA)
Philip de Bruin, Beeld
Cape Town - Former president FW de Klerk "knew nothing" about the attempt on Frank Chikane's life, according to one of the accused in the case, General Johann van der Merwe.
The Sunday Times reported that former law and order minister Adriaan Vlok and Van der Merwe were angry at having to bear the blame for crimes committed in the apartheid era and were pointing a finger at De Klerk.
Van der Merwe, who was the commissioner of police at the time, reacted vehemently to the allegation on Sunday.
Tried to poison Chikane
"I distance myself totally from the (Sunday Times) report, specifically about my pointing fingers at De Klerk. He knew absolutely nothing about it."
Vlok and Van der Merwe are to be charged with the attempted murder of Reverend Frank Chikane, who is currently the director general in the Presidency. It's alleged that they tried to poison him.
Pik Botha, who was the minister of foreign affairs in De Klerk's Cabinet, also rejected the claims.
"No Cabinet in which I served knew of such plans," he said.
Advocate Anton Ackermann of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), who is in charge of prosecuting Vlok and Van der Merwe, also refused to be drawn on Sunday on the question of a possible plea bargain.
Suspended jail sentence
But Beeld has heard from informed sources that arrangements for a plea bargain are well underway. In terms of the agreement on the table at present both Vlok and Van der Merwe will agree to a suspended jail sentence of 10 years, on certain conditions.
The source expressly denied that one of the conditions is that Vlok and Van der Merwe must co-operate with the NPA in investigating other apartheid-era crimes.
"There's no such thing. The conditions are standard terms that usually accompany a suspended sentence."
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