German tourist robbery case postponed to May
The case against five Hangberg men accused of robbing a missing German tourist has been postponed to Thursday May 4.
Igshaan Fisher, Jason Adonis, Melvin Geunantin, Carlo Geunantin and Vanroy Petersen have been charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances.
The police say they were found in possession of items belonging to Nick Frischke, 22, who went missing on Wednesday February 15 in the Karbonkelberg area of Hout Bay.
Mr Frischke arrived in the country from Döbern, Brandenburg on Monday February 6 for a two-week holiday.
Two of the accused were arrested on Tuesday February 21 and the other three on Thursday February 23 (“Five in court for robbing missing German tourist”, Sentinel News, Friday March 2).
The men arrived late, from Pollsmoor prison, in a packed Courtroom 4 on the second floor of Wynberg Magistrate’s Court.
After a brief appearance, magistrate Goolam Bowa agreed that their names could published as they were already in the public domain. At a previous court appearance, he had ordered that neither the men’s names nor pictures of their faces could be published.
Mr Bowa allowed pictures of the accused to be taken on condition their faces were not shown as they might have to appear in an identity parade.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Eric Ntabazalila said the legal representative for the five men told the court that they had all abandoned their bail applications.
“The State requested that the matter be postponed as there is still outstanding investigations that needed to be carried out. Those included witness statements, DNA and cellphone analysis. The accused are remanded in custody,” said Mr Ntabazalila.
Meanwhile, Hangberg residents continue the search for the missing man. According to Brent Thomas, a local tour guide, about 50 people joined the sweep of the area from the edge of the Hangberg community up to the saddle of the Sentinel Peak on Saturday March 4.
