Cape Town - Police used Professor Louis Heyns's cellphone to track down the men arrested in connection with his murder and robbery, the Somerset West Magistrate's Court heard on Monday.
Investigating officer, Warrant Officer Hannes Niemand, said in an affidavit that he followed Heyns's cellular activities after he went missing on May 22. This led to him arresting brothers Marthinus van der Walt, 33, and Sarel van der Walt, 42, a week later.
Niemand said after he took statements from the two Heyns's body was found in a shallow grave in Strand.
He found out through these statements that Heyns's car was allegedly sold to Malmesbury businessman Juan Liedeman, 37. He was arrested a day after the brothers.
The affidavit was read out by prosecutor Samantha Raphaels during Liedeman's bail application.
The State is opposing his release on bail because he has been charged with schedule six offences - namely robbery as an accessory after the fact and defeating the ends of justice.
Henk Carstens said his clients, the Van der Walts, abandoned their bail applications.
Niemand said in his affidavit that he visited Liedeman's panelbeating, spraypainting and engineering services business the day the brothers were arrested.
“I recovered the engine and wheels of the vehicle which were locked up in a storage room. The keys to the storage room were held by the applicant (Liedeman).”
He said witnesses had made statements to the effect that Liedeman had burned some parts of the car and hidden others in a tanker on the premises. These were recovered.
Niemand said a witness claimed to have read a newspaper article about Heyns's death and stolen car, and showed this to Liedeman.
“Forensic evidence revealed his fingerprints on the robbed vehicle of the deceased. He destroyed valuable evidence and this amounted to him assisting the co-accused. The applicant was attempting to defeat the ends of justice,” the affidavit reads.
Raphaels said Liedeman had shown he would not hesitate to destroy valuable evidence, and this should be enough to keep him in custody.
Liedeman claimed in an affidavit that the brothers threatened him before and after his arrest.
He said Sarel van der Walt used to work for him, but he confronted him because he believed he was stealing from the business and summarily dismissed him.
The threats apparently started soon afterwards. When the three were transferred to Pollsmoor Prison a week ago, Liedeman said he received further threats from the brothers. He told his family, who contacted Liedeman's lawyer, William Booth. The National Prosecuting Authority was then informed.
Liedeman had since been moved from the same prison cell as the brothers, although they were taken to court in the same vehicle.
Liedeman said he feared for both his own life and that of his wife and two young children.
“They have certain contacts in prison who can harm me,” he said in his affidavit, which Booth read out.
The court was expected to deliver its bail judgment on Tuesday. - Sapa