AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit says it has found no foul play in the death of Willem Kruger.
The 29-year-old Groblersdal-based farmer reportedly went missing on the evening of a friend’s bachelor party. His body was found in the Vaal River nine days later with speculation suggesting foul play.
However, AfriForum spokesperson Barry Bateman on Sunday said after a careful study of the circumstances surrounding his death, AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit believes that on the available evidence, allegations of foul play could not corroborated.
This comes after the unit met the Kruger family in Pretoria on April 12 to share its report with the family which indicates that based on its analysis of the evidence provided as well as affidavits gathered, no foul play could be detected in the death of the young farmer.
“The Private Prosecution Unit expresses its deepest condolences with the family, who has had to endure more than five months of anguish and secondary trauma which has been fuelled by wild speculation about the cause of Willem’s untimely passing. From the outset, the unit made it clear that it would not be led by reports and media speculation and rely solely on the objective facts and corroborated evidence,” Bateman said.
Bateman said in February Willem’s father, Tian Kruger, approached the unit for help to investigate the circumstances surrounding his son’s death.
Bateman added that in a difficult and sometimes emotional meeting with the Kruger family, advocate Gerrie Nel set out in detail the various findings, which included analysis of the data from the sport watch Willem was wearing; the GPS data from his vehicle tracker; cellphone tower data; post-mortem findings and affidavits from several people in the area on the night.
“On instruction of the family the unit will now focus on the private investigators that abused the trauma and desperation of a family to enrich themselves.
“Having said that, the unit must compliment Warrant Officer David Nhlapo who has done a sterling job and who has co-operated with the unit. His detective work, assisted by the unit, has driven the process and edged a painful investigation towards a conclusion,” he said.
AfriForum however indicated that there were a few outstanding aspects of procedural nature that still needed to be included in the docket. Bateman said it was these loose ends that would eventually put the whole matter to rest when the unit finally makes its submission to the National Prosecuting Authority.
Tian Kruger said the family was still concerned that their son behaved in a manner that was not uncharacteristic of him during his last days.
“As a family we remain concerned that the facts established from the available evidence suggested that Willem behaved in a manner which is uncharacteristic of him. We feel comfortable that the investigation will continue even after an inquest,” he said.