NATIONAL NEWS - Tharina Human, the alleged mastermind behind the kidnapping of six-year-old Amy’ Leigh de Jager, reportedly admitted that she planned the whole kidnapping because she owed Nigerian man money but did not say what she owed him money for.
This is according to Constable Clayton Motloung, who took to the stand to give evidence during today’s court proceedings which were presided over by Magistrate Hussein Khota.
According to Motloung, who said he was still investigating the case, Amy’Leigh’s mother Angeline said she was dropping her children off at school when the incident took place.
Her five-year-old son was in the car with her and Amy’Leigh. She said a man grabbed the boy first, let him go and then grabbed the little girl and fled.
Motloung then went on to recall how hard it was to trace the getaway vehicle as there was no registration number attached to it.
It was only after Amy’Leigh’s father, Wynand, received a call from an African male two hours after the kidnapping asking for R2 million that the police were able to trace the number that called the victim’s father to a plot just outside Vanderbijlpark.
It was there that they found a woman related to accused number one (Tharina Human), Laetitia Nel, 40.
Motloung said the number was traced to accused number two (Laetitia Nel), prompting them to head over to her house where they found all three of the accused present on the same day of the kidnapping.
The court heard how further investigations led police back to Nel’s house, who told them the kidnapping was Human’s idea and Pieter van Zyl, 50, was involved when they got there.
Motloung testified about how Nel took them to Van Zyl’s house thereafter where they discovered a firearm and found an African man who ran away.
According to Motloung, their initial plan was to stage 27-year-old Human’s abduction to get her family to pay the ransom.
The accused later changed their plan and decided to kidnap Amy’Leigh.
Vaal Weekblad reported that the trio was arrested last week and appeared in a packed magistrate’s court in the town on Monday, September 9. They will remain in custody until Thursday, September 19, when formal bail applications are filed before Magistrate Khota.
