No visible footmarks in Aggett cell, court hears
The High Court in Johannesburg heard on Thursday that there were no visible shoe marks on the bars where anti-apartheid activist Neill Agget was found hanging in 1982.
Former fingerprint expert and police photographer Charl Wyrand Lamprechts testified at the inquest into Aggett’s death on Thursday.
The inquest was reopened in an attempt to piece together the final moments of the activist’s life.
Aggett’s family has poured scorn on a finding by an apartheid-era inquest that he committed suicide while in custody at the notorious John Vorster Square, now known at Johannesburg Central Police Station.
Lamprechts, who was called out onto the scene some two hours after Agget’s body was found, told the court that there were never any footprints or shoes marks on the jail bars.
This despite the fact that Aggett was found hanging with his shoes still on his feet.
“Were there any footprints on the horizontal bar? Any shoe marks on the horizontal bar?” asked Judge Motsemai Makume.
“No my lord,” replied Lamprechts.
“Any shoe marks on the horizontal bar?”
“No my lord.”
State Advocate Shubnum Singh said she found it very strange.
“I find that very strange as well because if you look at the photograph, you can see that Dr Aggett is hanging with shoes on. Would one expected to find marks of a footprint at least on the bar?”
The Inquest will continue on Monday when former Vlakplaas officer Roelof Venter will take to the stand.
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