[miningmx.com] — THE South African Police Force has arrested a 32-year old man – believed to be alleged company hijacker Dennis Van Kerrebroeck – in connection with diamond theft.
Police spokesperson Cherelle Ehlers did not name the man but commented that the suspect arrested is believed to be a Canadian citizen.
He was arrested in Sandton by detectives from Kimberley and Pretoria on February 27, and it is understood he has now been transferred to Kimberley.
The arrest is in connection with an investigation by the Hawks in the Northern Cape into the theft of a diamond valued at about R58m in Hopetown during 2008.
Ehlers said the man would appear in court in Hopetown on March 2 and that the investigation was continuing.
Van Kerrebroeck – a Canadian businessman – lost a court action in Gauteng last week in connection with control of exploration company Ngwenda Gold (Ngwenda), which owns the prospecting rights to the Sun North and South deep-level gold projects in the Free State.
Ngwenda founder Mashudu Nengwenda and other Ngwenda directors said in court papers that Van Kerrebroeck had sought to seize control of the company through unlawful activity.
They brought an urgent interdict to have Van Kerrebroeck removed as a director of the company and themselves reinstated as directors.
Van Kerrebroeck denied this and, in his replying affidavits, said Nengenwda and the other directors had sold their shares in Ngwenda to him and resigned as directors on or about September 8 last year.
This was denied by Nengwenda, who said the documents presented by Van Kerrebroeck concerning the sale of shares and their resignations were false.
The court ruled on February 25 that Van Kerrebroeck had not been validly appointed as a director of Ngwenda.
In the run-up to the court action, publicity was given in South Africa to a report in the New York Post newspaper on July 15 last year concerning allegations that Van Kerrebroeck stole a 143 carat rough diamond mined by Higgs Diamonds in South Africa when it was imported into the United States for sale.
The value of the diamond was stated at $3.3m (about R23m) in the article.
Van Kerrebroeck denied these allegations when interviewed by Miningmx on February 22.
He said: “I purchased the diamond in question in good faith. I imported it legally into the United States and it was cleared legally through customs.
“I put the agreed purchase price for the diamond into escrow because it had become unclear as to who the true owner of the diamond was, because the documentation provided did not match up.
“I have never received even a request to be interviewed about this matter by any police agency.’
