The arrest of Gerhard van Rooyen – after a near five month chase – has been confirmed by North West police.
Police have been looking for Van Rooyen since July in connection with a number of fraud cases.
Van Rooyen (49), along with his wife Elana Goes (49), was arrested this morning in Potchefstroom, North West on charges of theft and fraud according to police spokesperson Sergeant Kelebogile Moleko.
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Van Rooyen was accused of advertising cars and asking those were interested to deposit cash into a friend’s account. Once the money was deposited, Van Rooyen would disappear.
“The victim never got the car,” said Moleko.
It is also alleged that in 2013, Van Rooyen advertised a house online and requested an interested buyer to pay a R12 000 “deposit” into his wife Elana Goes’ account before vanishing.
ALSO READ: Van Rooyen’s son continues to elude police
Van Rooyen was arrested in March in the Western Cape and was released on R8 000 bail.
His bail conditions expected of him to report to the Villieria police every Wednesday; to never commit similar offences; and to never leave the Gauteng province without notifying the police or the court.
Van Rooyen however did not adhere to his bail conditions and has been on the run ever since.
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The two will be transferred to Klerksdorp police stations and were expected to appear at the magistrate’s court on Friday 29 December.
Moleko said the suspects may face more charges as investigations continued.
Gerhard is the son of the infamous Gert van Rooyen. Gert – along with his female companion, Joey Haarhoff – was believed to have been responsible for the abduction, sexual assault and murder of several missing underage girls across the country in the 1980’s.
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