Ex-admin cop insists Timol ‘dived’ to his death
FORMER police administrative officer Jan Rodriques told the high court in Pretoria that Ahmed Timol “dived” through the window of the 10th floor of the John Vorster Square building on October 27, 1971, and he did everything in his power to stop him, but he was too late.
Rodrigues was summonsed to testify before the court in the second leg of the inquest into the anti-apartheid activist’s death. The police maintained Timol had committed suicide.
An inquest in 1972 agreed, but his family called for another probe.
Forensic pathologists last week testified Timol suffered a skull fracture before his death and a fractured ankle, which would have made it impossible to walk, let alone jump from the raised window.
But the 78-year-old Rodrigues, a former admin officer, stuck to his guns yesterday and insisted Timol had jumped.
Rodrigues said he had worked for the police. It was his first visit to John Vorster Square and he was taken to room 1026, where Timol was being interrogated by two officers. Everything was calm when an unknown officer walked in.
“He said Timol’s three accomplices had been arrested. He then left. I saw Timol was extremely shocked.”
Rodrigues said the two officers excused themselves. When Timol asked whether he could go to the toilet, he agreed. He saw a movement from the side of his eye and noticed Timol was opening the window. “The next moment I saw him diving out of the window.”