The police have opened a case of attempted murder against the man who let loose a box of venomous snakes in an Absa bank in Johannesburg on Thursday, a spokesperson said on Friday.
”Obviously the guy was cross with the bank, but he must bear in mind that someone could have been killed,” said police Superintendent Chris Wilken.
On Thursday, an aggrieved client released a box of puff adders in the reception area of Absa bank. A security guard was bitten on the finger and he was rushed to hospital.
Wilken said the police were not called in to investigate the case, but went to the scene on their own initiative and opened a docket.
”The security guard was not in a position to lay a charge himself.”
Wilken said bank officials had, to a certain extent, been helpful. The officials supplied the police with the name and address of the man, who had left a note in the box with the five snakes.
Police were not interested in the details of the dispute between the man and the bank.
The man had not been arrested, Wilken said.
Police would complete the investigation and submit the docket to the prosecutor for a decision on the matter.
The security guard was reported to be undergoing plastic surgery on Friday on his bitten finger.
Puff adders are rated as ”extremely venomous”, and can cause death. Their venom is cytotoxic and attacks tissue and blood cells. – Sapa