The case against the five men arrested in connection with the disappearance of the German tourist Nick Frischke has been postponed to next month for further investigation. This according to Western Cape National Prosecuting Authority spokesman, Eric Ntabazalila.
The five men’s court appearance took place at Wynberg Magistrate’s Court via video link from Pollsmoor Prison on Thursday May 4.
They have confessed to robbing the 22-year-old firefighter from Brandenburg, near Cottbus, who went missing in the Karbonkelberg, Sentinel area of Hout Bay on Wednesday February 15.
The five men have been charged with aggravated robbery and remain in custody, said Mr Ntabazalila.
The men did not apply for bail during their previous court appearance in March, when the case was postponed for further investigation as the police still required witness statements, DNA and cellphone evidence (“Missing German tourist meant to begin studies”, Sentinel News March 10).
Igshaan Fisher, Jason Abrahams, Vanroy Petersen, Carlo Guenantin and Melvin Guenantin are the last known people to have seen Mr Frischke alive when they held him up on Karbonkelberg. Carlo Guenantin, who was previously convicted of attempted murder, was released on parole last year.
The five men are understood to have claimed that the German ran off after they robbed him.
The desperate search for Mr Frishcke has since lost some of its urgency after the authorities and volunteers combed the mountainside for weeks without success.
Police said searches would resume as new leads were received.
After receiving cellphone evidence of a hiking app Mr Frischke reportedly used under the profile name, RunFire7, to find his way on the Sentinel trail above Hangberg, Hout Bay police’s station commander, Lieutenant- Colonel Jerome Syster, told Sentinel News on Monday May 1, that a search was conducted over the weekend without any success. “On Friday the search team did abseiling into some dangerous areas on the Sentinel. On Sunday the search continued next to the coastline towards the shipwreck, with no success,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Syster.
A private donor from Hangberg, who wishes to remain anonymous, has offered a R20 000 reward for concrete information on his whereabouts. If you have knowledge of the case, call Captain Raymond Swart on 082 827 3212 or Crime Stop at 08600 10111.
