/ 16 May 2011

Hawks ‘in talks’ to return Lolly’s alleged killer to SA

There are efforts are under way to get George Luca, the man accused of killing strip-club owner Lolly Jackson, back to South Africa, the Hawks said on Sunday.

Hawks spokesperson McIntosh Polela was responding to a Sunday Times article in which a reporter interviewed Luca in Cyprus.

“It’s nothing new to us. It’s one thing going to interview him in Cyprus, but our job is to get him back to SA,” Polela said.

He said the unit had to go through a formal process to get Luca, also known as George Smith, back to South Africa.

“It involves negotiating to get him to come back … We are in talks for him to return to SA.”

Polela preferred not to comment on whether the Hawks were negotiating with Luca or the Cyprian government.

The Sunday Times reported Luca as saying he was not hiding in Cyprus, and he was not afraid.

“I want to talk to the police in SA, but I don’t think I will get a fair trail,” Luca reportedly said.

Polela said he could not comment on the issue of a fair trail, as it would be conducted by the courts.

When asked if the Hawks could give an estimated time frame in which Luca would return to SA, Polela said “these things take a long time”.

“They are difficult and complex and it would be irresponsible to put a time frame on it.”

In the Sunday Times interview Luca was asked about the night Jackson was murdered, but he said not to ask him about it, saying only: “I am alive because I am not a betrayer.”

Jackson, the owner of the Teazers franchise of strip clubs, was found murdered at a house in Edleen near the OR Tambo International Airport on May 3 2010.

Luca allegedly phoned Gauteng crime intelligence boss Joey Mabasa and confessed to killing Jackson shortly after the murder.

He claims he was helped out of South Africa and flew out of the country from the OR Tambo International airport. – Sapa