No new treason plot – police

JOHANNESBURG – Police do not fear a renewed treason threat from the harbourers of fugitives Herman van Rooyen,33, and Rudi Gouws, 28, who were recaptured on Saturday.

“Although we have made no further arrests, people should not worry as we have the core group of 22 men believed to have been behind the treason plot,” national police spokesperson Sally De Beer said yesterday. “They are now behind bars and in the middle of a trial,” she said.”The only people that we are now looking for are those that helped harbour the fugitives.”Van Rooyen and Gouws escaped on May 3 from Pretoria where they had been on trial for, among others, treason, sabotage and murder.They were re-arrested at a townhouse complex in Lyttelton, Pretoria – a week after the arrest of Pretoria couple Jacobus and Elizabeth Bogaards for allegedly aiding and abetting them.The fugitives were thought to have camped in a tent pitched on their property.A motorbike registered in Van Rooyen’s name was found on the premises.The Bogaards, who face charges under the Protection of Democracy Against Terrorism and Related Activities Act, are in custody pending an appearance in court in Modimolle (formerly Nylstroom) today when they are expected to apply for bail.Van Rooyen and Gouws appeared in the Pretoria Regional Court on Saturday when the case was postponed until January 29, when they will rejoin their 20 co-accused in the dock in the Pretoria High Court.They will now face additional charges of escaping from custody and possession of illegal firearms.They have been returned to custody in the top security C-Max Prison, in Pretoria.Van Rooyen was arrested in Pretoria in December 2002 in a bakkie loaded with explosives and bags of nuts and bolts which, it was thought, was to have been used in a car bomb during a soccer match between Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld.He and his co-accused were believed to be members of the Boeremag organisation, a Right-wing group which allegedly plotted to sow chaos throughout the country in a bid to topple the government.Nampa-Sapa”They are now behind bars and in the middle of a trial,” she said.”The only people that we are now looking for are those that helped harbour the fugitives.”Van Rooyen and Gouws escaped on May 3 from Pretoria where they had been on trial for, among others, treason, sabotage and murder.They were re-arrested at a townhouse complex in Lyttelton, Pretoria – a week after the arrest of Pretoria couple Jacobus and Elizabeth Bogaards for allegedly aiding and abetting them.The fugitives were thought to have camped in a tent pitched on their property.A motorbike registered in Van Rooyen’s name was found on the premises.The Bogaards, who face charges under the Protection of Democracy Against Terrorism and Related Activities Act, are in custody pending an appearance in court in Modimolle (formerly Nylstroom) today when they are expected to apply for bail.Van Rooyen and Gouws appeared in the Pretoria Regional Court on Saturday when the case was postponed until January 29, when they will rejoin their 20 co-accused in the dock in the Pretoria High Court.They will now face additional charges of escaping from custody and possession of illegal firearms.They have been returned to custody in the top security C-Max Prison, in Pretoria.Van Rooyen was arrested in Pretoria in December 2002 in a bakkie loaded with explosives and bags of nuts and bolts which, it was thought, was to have been used in a car bomb during a soccer match between Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld.He and his co-accused were believed to be members of the Boeremag organisation, a Right-wing group which allegedly plotted to sow chaos throughout the country in a bid to topple the government.Nampa-Sapa