Despite the fact that the body of German tourist Nick Frischke has not yet been discovered, the State is considering charging the men accused of robbing him with murder.
Also read: R20k reward offered for leads on missing German tourist, Nick Frischke
Igshaan Fisher, Jason Abrahams, Vanroy Petersen, Carlo Guenantin, and Melvin Guenantin all appeared via video link from Pollsmoor Prison on Friday in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court.
The primary charge of murder had not yet been added because, five months later, no remains have yet been found. Instead, the defendant is currently charged with aggravated robbery and gun possession.
The case was delayed for additional investigation at the request of State advocate Brynmor Benjamin, who had originally requested that a regional court date be set.
He explained that this was required to determine whether there was enough proof to accuse the five of killing Frischke.
‘There was a sequence of events that in the end led to the robbery and potential murder of the missing person. Ideally, we could want all these cases to run together,’ Benjamin said.
The State alleges that the five ran into Frischke while they were inspecting the stolen goods from a robbery that had taken place earlier that day in Salamander Road, Hout Bay.
The prosecution claims that Petersen and Carlo Guenantin were the two men who held up the man as he sat in his car, taking off with his cellphone and a bag containing thousands of rand in cash after pepper-spraying him and threatening him with a gun.
Last year, Guenantin, who had previously been found guilty of attempted murder, was granted parole.
Fisher is accused of two additional crimes: robbery for allegedly stealing valuables from a home in Hout Bay, and arson for allegedly setting fire to the residence of someone who had reported Fisher to the police.
The accused complained loudly when Benjamin asked for a three-week postponement.
Magistrate Goolam Bawa refused to budge.
‘You have every right to know what is going on because the case is all about you. However, you have no right whatsoever to make a racket while we are busy with court proceedings. You are [still] in court, but you are on TV because of convenience and security concerns,’ he told them.
Three of the accused did, however, approach him with questions. They wanted to know whether there was any evidence linking them to the crime, how far along the investigation was, and whether any members of their family were present.
The only response from Bawa was that, whether they liked it or not, there was a case against them.
The matter was postponed to 29 August.
‘I don’t think he’s dead’
Speaking to News24, the mother of one of the accused, who asked not to be named, said the five were not murderers.
‘Yes, these boys that are in jail are naughty, but they are not murderers. They did not kill that young man,’ she said.
She asserted that she thinks Frischke is still alive and has fled the scene of the robbery.
‘What the State is doing here is linking [them] because they already believe the tourist is dead. I don’t think he’s dead.’
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Also read:
Case against suspects connected to missing German tourist postponed
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