A missing former border rugby player facing charges of fraud may have staged his own ”death” in an attempt to avoid the trial after a number of people phoned his family and the police to say they spotted him in East London.
Police said on Sunday that Steyn Swart (39) was allegedly spotted at the city’s Beacon Bay suburb at the weekend.
Swart was due in court last Wednesday on a charge of fraud involving about R130 000 from Liberty Life.
It is alleged Swart falsified signatures on policies after resigning from the company.
Inspector Stephen Marais said on Sunday they had not ruled out the possibility that Swart might have faked his own death to avoid the trial.
”Although there is nothing to indicate this at the moment, the possibility does exist.
”We are also investigating the possibility that he may have been hijacked or possibly committed suicide,” Marais said.
According to police, a number of letters were found in Swart’s office making reference to his family.
One of the letters is believed to have made reference to Swart’s two young children, Steyn, 6, and Andrea, 9, asking that they be looked after and that his son should follow in his footsteps and play rugby.
Reference was also apparently made to policies which would pay out more than R1-million to his family in the event of death.
”These letters do tend to indicate that Swart may have committed suicide but until we have a body we can only speculate,” Marais said.
Swarts’ Volkswagen Jetta was found abandoned at Nahoon Reef on Wednesday after he was last seen leaving the Hemmingways Casino in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Marais said stains were found on the dashboard and steering wheel and Swart’s shoes which were identified by his brother were found neatly placed together on the beach.
Forensic experts have lifted blood samples and these will be sent for tests to establish if the blood was from Swart.
A land search of the coastline from the Eastern Beach to Gonubie by members of the search and rescue unit has so far proved fruitless. – Sapa