Investigators probing the disappearance and presumed death of City of Cape Town staffer, Alistair Stanbull, believe he was the “victim of foul play”.
This was revealed at the Bellville Commercial Crimes Court as the men accused alongside Stanbull, who was found deceased last week, returned to court.
While DNA tests still have to be completed, police have confirmed that the decomposed body of a male hiker was found in the same vicinity where Stanbull was last seen.
The body was discovered at Silvermine Nature Reserve last Tuesday just a month after Stanbull’s mysterious disappearance on 29 April.
Police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi, said Kirstenhof police responded to a complaint about a body which was discovered at a nature reserve.
Swartbooi reports: “Upon their arrival at the scene, they found the decomposed body of an unknown man dressed in a grey pants and a T-shirt with black boots in a stream next to the hiking trail.
“The victim was declared deceased on the scene by the medical personnel. An autopsy will be conducted to confirm the cause of death. Kirstenhof police registered an inquest for further investigation.”
Stanbull, who was employed at the City’s Human Settlements Department, was implicated in a R2.5 million fraud scandal and was arrested with another colleague in November 2022 and was out R10 000 bail.
The State alleged that employees of a construction company, including the directors, supplied false invoices to the City and allegedly misrepresented some of the work they charged for as being finalised.
Stanbull and his colleague Adam Majiet allegedly allowed the invoices to be authorised even though they knew the work was not completed.
During court proceedings yesterday, Majiet, along with Asif Khan, Abdul Khan, Uwais Khan, Irfaan Khan and Abdullahtief Abrahams from Ilitha Painters and Decorators appeared on charges of fraud, attempted forgery and unlawfully interfering with the City’s Supply Chain Management Policy.
The State prosecutor said Stanbull had been marked absent for the first time since the case commenced. The matter has been set down for a pre-trial conference.
The prosecutor said: “Alistair Stanbull is absent and the reasons for his absence is that police believe he was the victim of foul play.
“They suspect he is deceased. DNA tests has to be done but I can confirm this is the first time he has missed court. He went missing in April.”
The court could not proceed until the outcome of the DNA tests are available and the case was postponed to 20 September.