Johannesburg - Eugene de Kock’s lawyer is still trying to find him.
On Monday, Pretoria lawyer Julian Knight again wrote to Minister of Correctional Services Michael Masutha, asking for De Kock to be released on parole.
Knight disputed comments attributed to the minister that De Kock had been released on parole, saying that was untrue and contrary to instructions he had received from De Kock.
Knight said his client “has not yet been provided with his parole conditions, assigned a parole officer and/or transferred to community corrections for placement and monitoring”.
On Friday, The Star independently confirmed that De Kock had not been handed over to Correctional Services’ community corrections centre or assigned a parole officer.
Knight believes that De Kock is in the custody of the State Security Agency (SSA).
“Having our client transferred to the care of the State Security Agency does not constitute release on parole,” Knight wrote to the minister.
He again warned the ministry that he would bring an urgent application to have De Kock produced before a court so that the court could decide on the legality of his continued detention.
Last week, the SSA referred queries from The Star to Correctional Services, while the SAPS eventually said it did not have him in custody.
On January 30, Masutha publicly announced that he had approved De Kock’s parole application.
Masutha was quoted in The Times on Monday as insisting that De Kock is out on parole.
“I can confirm that he is out on parole,” he reportedly told the newspaper.
In response to queries from The Star last week, Justice Ministry spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga would not say what had happened to De Kock.
“We have acceded to Mr De Kock’s plea not to give details of his release, so no media enquiries will be entertained on his release except queries on the minister’s decision on his parole,” said Mhaga at the time.
The ministry has ignored further requests for comment since then.
De Kock was jailed 18 years ago for apartheid-era crimes.
He was the commander of the secret police hit squad unit based at Vlakplaas near Pretoria, and was sentenced to two life terms plus 212 years for various offences, including murder. He was subsequently granted amnesty on some matters.
The Star