Anyone who has seen the escaped accused in the Boeremag treason trial, or who has information about them, should phone a newly set up hotline, police said on Thursday. Director Sally de Beer, national police spokesperson, urged anyone with information to phone Tel: 073 650 7502.
More than 24 hours after Herman van Rooyen and Rudi Gouws disappeared from the Pretoria High Court where their trial — with 20 others — for treason was being heard, police were no closer to catching them.
”We warn people not to confront these two as they are considered dangerous,” De Beer said.
She said they might have disguised themselves after their pictures were published in Thursday’s newspapers. ”They obviously do not want to come back, so we ask that members of the public contact the police if they are spotted,” she added.
Judge Eben Jordaan gave no indication on Thursday how the escape would influence the trial of the accused still in custody. He postponed the case to May 15 to give police a chance to catch the escapees.
Also on Thursday, Minister of Correctional Services Ngconde Balfour said the remaining accused would not be treated any differently and no extra security measures would be taken.
”There is no reason to increase security. They did not escape from a security complex, it happened at court,” Balfour said.
The remaining 20 would be treated the same as other prisoners. ”There will be no more or no less focus on them.”
Balfour said the two had escaped on the police’s watch, not that of his department. ”I want to make it clear that it was not my people who took the Boeremag triallists to court.”
He said he received phone calls from people asking him why correctional services let the two escape, and had to explain they were under police supervision when they escaped.
Balfour said he did not have all the details of the escape, but pleaded to judges not to ask officials to remove the hand and feet cuffs of prisoners. ”If it was us or if it was the police … we know the risk profile of the people we take care of. Some are highly dangerous,” Balfour said.
”I hope the police get those two guys back. They must face the music like anyone else,” he added. — Sapa