Africa-Press – South-Africa. A South African man currently serving a 15-year murder sentence in KwaZulu-Natal is facing extradition to Ireland, along with his Irish ex-girlfriend, in connection with a 2014 double murder.
Neville van der Westhuizen, 40, has been linked to the crime in Ireland along with his ex-girlfriend, fugitive, Ruth Lawrence, who was arrested by the Hawks in Bloemfontein last month.
“In their latest breakthrough, Interpol South Africa has tracked down an Ireland fugitive to one of the country’s correctional centres in Kwa-Zulu Natal. The fugitive is currently serving a 15-year-jail sentence in SA for murder,” said SAPS spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe in a statement.
Both, Lawrence and Van der Westhuizen are wanted in connection with the 2014 double murder of two friends in Ireland.
They allegedly fled Ireland after the murder.
Mathe said Lawrence was traced and arrested by the Hawks in Bloemfontein last month.
“She has already appeared before the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on the murder charges. The matter has already been enrolled in court for an extradition inquiry.”
Van der Westhuizen has also already appeared before the Durban Magistrate’s Court and his extradition inquiry has been postponed to 12 December.
“These ongoing arrests and take down operations should send a stern warning to those fugitives of justice who are in the country and criminals in South Africa that we are squeezing the space for them to operate, either they hand themselves over to authorities or we fetch them ourselves,” said National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola.
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