MS LOCKHAT: We call on Mr P.J. Verster.
MR WESSELS: Mr Chairperson, the application of Mr Verster, appears on page 11 of Bundle 7. His involvement is again very peripheral as in the previous cases, or even more so and I will lead his evidence very quickly.
CHAIRPERSON: Yes.
PIETER JOHANNES VERSTER: (sworn states)
EXAMINATION BY MR WESSELS: Mr Verster, at this stage we have heard that you were the Senior Staff Officer of Special Forces, is that correct?
MR VERSTER: That is correct Mr Chairperson.
MR WESSELS: Evidence was also led that Captain Hechter received the bomb from you with which Mr Piet Ntuli was blown up?
MR VERSTER: That is not so Chairperson.
MR WESSELS: And that you were involved with this operation?
MR VERSTER: My involvement with this operation was administrative and co-ordination, as Senior Staff Officer as I received it from Gen Joubert.
MR WESSELS: Is it then so that you would have received the instruction to make a bomb available to a person from Special Forces?
MR VERSTER: No, I had contact with Captain Hechter, if I recall correctly, but my function as Staff Officer was that I sent many bombs by aeroplane to the operational area, so I will accept that it might be so.
MR WESSELS: Do you have any independent recollection of this bomb and the making available thereof?
MR VERSTER: I can recall that there was such a bomb and as the previous applicant had given evidence.
MR WESSELS: Did you know what the bomb was to be used for?
MR VERSTER: I knew it would go to the Police, but the specific target was not known to us.
MR WESSELS: I have no further questions.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR WESSELS
CHAIRPERSON: Did you in fact assemble the bomb?
MR VERSTER: No Mr Chairperson. We used the normal system at Special Forces and this was the Technical Division, the Logistics Division of the structure. Therefore I just conveyed the instructions as received from Gen Joubert and referred them administratively to those divisions.
CHAIRPERSON: So you had no hand in the, no part in the actual handling of the actual explosive?
MR VERSTER: No Mr Chairperson.
CHAIRPERSON: What are you applying for?
MR WESSELS: Mr Chairman, may I come in there, Mr Verster is applying for amnesty in that he may be an accomplice in regard to this incident.
CHAIRPERSON: Is there anybody who wishes to put questions to this applicant?
ADV DE JAGER: Mr Verster, if you had to be an accomplice, you had to know that somebody was to be killed?
MR VERSTER: Chairperson I accepted that a bomb was to be manufactured, and I knew that eventually if it went to the Police, it would be used for some or other target, which they knew better than I and whether it was suited.
ADV DE JAGER: Therefore you knew that it would be used on an unidentified person to injure or kill an unidentified person?
MR VERSTER: That is correct Mr Chairperson.
CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR DU PLESSIS: Mr Chairman, may I be afforded one question please.
CHAIRPERSON: Yes.
MR DU PLESSIS: Mr Verster, will I be correct with the following statement, and that is that the contact that Captain Hechter had with Special Forces, was through you?
MR VERSTER: That is not necessarily so Chairperson. This type of thing was handled exclusively and it may be that Captain Hechter or any outside person that used Special Forces directly, liaised with the Commanding General, but thereafter it would come to me, who did the administration or co-ordination of any work to be done.
But we contacted each other telephonically and thereafter, there was direct contact from them to me.
MR DU PLESSIS: But can I ask you, do you know whether Captain Hechter had contact with anybody else at Special Forces with regard to any other operation, including this operation except for the contact which he had with Gen Joubert of which we heard now?
MR VERSTER: I just know of those aspects for which we have applied for, or what has happened the last few days and Mr Floyd in this instance and Gen Joubert.
ADV DE JAGER: Wasn't there evidence that he had contact with Mr Naude?
MR VERSTER: Excuse me, I had to correct that, that is what I mean.
MR DU PLESSIS: Thank you Mr Chairman, I have no further questions.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR DU PLESSIS
CHAIRPERSON: Thank you. No questions? Ms Lockhat, do you have any questions?
MS LOCKHAT: No questions, Chairperson.
NO CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MS LOCKHAT
CHAIRPERSON: Yes, very well. Thank you, you are excused.
MR VERSTER: Thank you Mr Chairperson.
WITNESS EXCUSED
