Pretoria - A 28-year-old man will appear at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Friday for acts of terrorism linked to the recent bomb scare at the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) offices.
The man -- who works for a service provider on the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project, and not for Sanral as erroneously reported -- was arrested while on duty on Wednesday at Sanral's Centurion offices, the Hawks have confirmed.
Hawks spokesperson Captain Paul Ramaloko said a cell phone suspected to have been used to make the call about the bomb scare was found in the suspect’s possession during the arrest.
“He was arrested by our organised crime unit in connection with acts of terrorism. We are convinced that we nabbed the mastermind behind the bomb scare,” Ramaloko said, adding that he believed the man was not acting alone.
The motive for the suspect's alleged offence is unknown.
“Investigations are still underway but we cannot rule out the possibility of more arrests,” Ramaloko said.
Sanral employees have had to be evacuated on three separate occasions recently.
Sanral has welcomed the arrest, saying it sent a strong message.
“The arrest should send a message that while peaceful protest is every citizen’s right, actions like threatening that a bomb is on the premises or any other hoax, is a serious offence.
“We strongly condemn such actions. The swift police action is an indication of how seriously such hoaxes are seen,” Sanral head of communications Vusi Mona said. - SAnews.gov.za
