‘People of interest’ in German tourist murder let go, one more person held

Police Minister Bheki Cele said the three people who were taken in for questioning following the murder of German tourist Joerg Schnarr have been let go after providing “quality information”.

The three people were taken in for questioning on Wednesday following Schnarr’s murder on Numbi road, outside the Kruger National Park, on Monday.

Speaking to journalists on Friday, Cele confirmed that the three people were let go after providing information that could advance the case.

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According to the minister, one more person has been taken in for questioning.

“I was at the crime scene, we announced that we had three people of interest. Police have spoken to those three people of interest and they have been let go. But the information they received from them is information of quality, it’s information that we’re very happy with,” said Cele.

“We have managed to get the name and the person that we believe will give us proper response on what has happened. Today, earlier on, speaking to the police, they have raised the issue that he’s doing some pointing, including the runaway car.

“We let [the three people] go, but we’re very sure that the person that we found now, we’re in a much better place to crack the case.”

Sixty-seven-year-old Schnarr and three other people were travelling to Mdluli Safari Lodge when they were attacked by a group of criminals.

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the suspects, travelling in a VW Caddy, are said to have instructed the tourists to open the doors to their Hyundai Staria, but when the driver locked the doors, he was shot in the upper body through the window.

“The driver reversed about 100m before crashing into a wall,” Mohlala said.

 Schnarr succumbed to his injuries, while his wife and the couple they were travelling with survived.

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Compiled by Vhahangwele Nemakonde, additional reporting by Nica Richards