Bodies of abducted botanists were dumped from Tugela River Bridge

SHOCKING revelations in the ISIS-related matter and murder case of Rodney (74) and Rachael (63) Saunders were revealed last week.

A second affidavit, deposed by the investigating officer during the court appearance of Sayfudeen Aslam Del Vecchio, Bibi Fatima Patel and Ahmad Jackson Mussa at the Verulam Regional Court, has shed more light on the case.

This, in the light of the Hawks positively identifying a body which had washed up on Tugela South River Bank on 17 February, as being that of Rodney Saunders.

The initial affidavit revealed how Del Vecchio had, in a discussion, plans to ‘kill the kuffar (unbeliever) and abduct their alias, to destroy infrastructure and to put fear into the heart of the kuffar’.

The following day (10 February), Del Vecchio is believed to have mentioned to Patel and Mussa that there was an elderly couple in the forest, who were a ‘good hunt’ and for which had equipment.

‘Staged by CIA or FBI’

According to reports Del Vecchio told the court that he is under the impression that the kidnapping and murder of the Cape Town-Briton botanist had been staged by the CIA or FBI.

TimesLive reported that Del Vecchio made the claims of the ‘hidden hand’ in an affidavit placed before the Verulam Regional Court and also accused Mussa‚ also known as ‘Bazooka’‚ of being a secret agent.

‘There is no evidence of the kidnapped couple and to stage something like this is not a task unknown to agencies like the FBI and CIA.

‘I am now beginning to believe that Bazooka may have been an appointed agent to establish evidence against my wife and I‚ resulting in the current arrest,’ he said.

The court heard that the third accused in the case, Themba Xulu (19), who was found in possession of the Saunders’ cellphones, has entered into plea negotiations with the state.

Bodies dumped

Meanwhile gruesome details of how the accused had dumped the elderly couple’s bodies off the Tugela River Bridge have been revealed.

According to the affidavit,

Mussa is believed to have made a statement to the effect that he was woken up by Patel at around 8pm at her and Del Vecchio’s homestead in Endlovini, where he resided with them.

Patel then told Mussa that they needed to meet Del Vecchio on the road.

Patel drove their vehicle, a white Ford Ranger - in which knives were found, during subsequent forensic analysis at the Richards Bay Police Station - to a place where they met Del Vecchio.

Del Vecchio is said to have been driving a Toyota – possibly the

Land Cruiser owned by Rod and Rachael – and they followed him until they reached the Tugela River Bridge.

‘They assisted the 2nd Applicant (Del Vecchio) to remove the sleeping bags from the back of the Toyota.

‘Accused 4 (Mussa) saw two heads of white people in the sleeping bags.

‘They threw the bodies which were in the sleeping bags into the river,’ the affidavit read.

Del Vecchio then warned Mussa not to tell anybody about the incident and gave him a gold bank card with the pin code and told him to buy clothes for himself.

Triggered bombing device

The affidavit further revealed that a modified cellphone, which resembles devices that are modified to be used as triggers to set off an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was also recovered during the search of Del Vecchio and Patel’s premises.

‘Bomb plans on how to make a cellphone detonated IED were also found on the digital downloads of the 2nd Applicant (Del Vecchio).

‘According to my knowledge similar devices were used in previous suicide bomber attacks i.e., the Manchester attack on 22 May 2017 and the Brussels bombings on 22 March 2016,’ the affidavit read.

Background

Rodney and Rachael Saunders were last seen on 10 February in the Bivane area in Vryheid, prior to this they had been on an expedition with a BBC film crew in the Drakensberg searching for rare plants and seeds.

Robin Matthews of Big

Banana Films, who was with the Saunders in the Drakensberg, previously spoke exclusively to the ZO and said he had suggested that they visit the Ngoye Forest Reserve while touring through KZN.

The four accused face charges of kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances two counts of murder and possession of stolen property.

Additionally, the married pair of Del Vecchio – who originates from Mozambique – and Patel, face charges of arson and possession of a terror group flag.

The bail application for Del Vecchio and Patel is expected to be heard on 10 May.