Fourth murder accused gets bail

A FOURTH accused, allegedly involved in the murder of 29-yearold Ashwin Malan at the Atlantis Guesthouse in Kimberley last year, has been released on bail.

Derrick Vyfers was arrested in Gauteng in January this year and faces charges of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances together with three co-accused – Marlin Koopman, Rahjendra Beukes and Levert van Wyk.

Vyfers’ three co-accused had previously been released on bail.

Vyfers last week made a schedule six bail application in the KImberley Magistrate’s Court.

During the application it transpired that Vyfers was convicted of murdering a police official in 1999 and was sentenced to imprisonment until his release on parole in 2014.

On Friday, Magistrate Doll Mokoto, said that Vyfers was a suitable candidate to be released on bail, when considering the State’s case versus the applicant’s personal circumstances. Mokoto said that the investigating officer admitted that there was no objective evidence linking Vyfers to the murder.

Vyfers was in Kimberley at the time of the incident, was seen at the guest house before and after the incident, was seen with a pistol similar to the one used to commit the murder and that statements by his co-accused (which were found to be inadmissible) linked him to the crime. However, the the gun had not been found and that there was currently no DNA or fingerprint evidence linking Vyfers to the murder.