THE trial of the two young accused in the botched hostage drama and bank heist in Franschhoek last year, started in the Paarl Regional Court last week.
Darren le Roux (21) and Johan Smit (18) are charged with attempted robbery, intimidation, malicious damage to property and assault.
The incident occurred on 8 April 2006, when the daughter of an employee of Nedbank in Franschhoek, Diane Pretorius, was held hostage by a masked man.
Her mother, Alta, was summoned to the flat above the bank, and on arrival she was forced to strap fake explosives around her waist and told to return to the bank and fill a bag with money.
Alta returned to the bank and filled the bag with approximately R84 000 in cash, but could not follow the robber’s instructions to the drop-off point. The police were then alerted.
Smit, a friend and neighbour of Diane’s, had been visiting the Pretorius flat when the drama enfolded.
The state alleges that the two young men colluded to rob Nedbank.
Last week both Alta and Diane (18) recalled the events of that day during questioning in the trial.
Diane said that a man who was dressed in a `type of body-glove’ attacked her and threatened her in her mother’s home above Nedbank.
She said that he had a plastic bag with him and he told her that there was a bomb in it.
Alta said that she took the intruder’s bomb threats seriously and feared for her and her daughter’s life.
”He said that I must go and fetch money in the bank otherwise he will press the button which will trigger the bomb.”
The case would have proceeded on Tuesday but was postponed to 24 January 2008 due to the prior engagements of one of the advocates involved.
