/ 18 May 2008

Fidentia boss allegedly raped in police van

Fraud suspect J Arthur Brown was allegedly raped in the back of a police van last week, the Sunday Times reported.

Brown’s attorney, William Booth, said the former Fidentia boss — accused of theft and fraud involving hundreds of millions of rands — suffered an ”extremely humiliating” sexual assault in a jam-packed prison van taking him from the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court to Pollsmoor on Monday.

”Brown is not asking for any special dispensation,” said Booth. ”This can happen to any law-abiding citizen. If you are taken in for a drink-driving offence, you can end up being raped, murdered or with Aids. It’s extremely worrying and frightening.”

He said Brown is now under police guard in a private Cape Town hospital that has special expertise in treating Aids patients.

”He’s been seen by a psychiatrist, he’s had a couple of procedures and he’s on antiretrovirals. His mental state is not good.”

Media reports earlier this week had said Brown was examined by a doctor and a psychiatrist on Wednesday after being ”beaten up” by fellow prisoners.

Scorpions investigators brought fresh charges against Brown last week of fraud, theft and money laundering relating to the company Antheru. The charges involve about R800 000.

His arrest has become controversial with Booth alleging it was carried out on the strength of a warrant of arrest that was issued irregularly.