AFTER several incidents this week when police were called out on false anthrax scares, two hoaxsters in Cape Town have been charged with intimidation and another two intimidation dockets are under investigation in Johannesburg. This follows this week’s warning from the national commissioner of police, Jackie Selebi, that hoaxsters would be fined. He also drew attention to the fact that they were wasting the time and scarce resources of the police. The two dockets of intimidation being investigated by Johannesburg police were opened on Friday after an envelope with white powder was found in the office of Merrill Lynch in the city centre and another was found in Megawatt Park in Sandton. In Cape Town, two men are to appear in court after they were arrested on Friday for an anthrax hoax at their workplace. On Saturday night, the Randburg police station which was sealed off on Saturday night following an anthrax scare there. There were also three false anthrax scares in Krugersdorp on the West Rand on Saturday.
Friday October 19, 2001