Springbok flyhalf Jantjies released on bail

SPRINGBOK flyhalf Elton Jantjies has been released on bail after being arrested at OR Tambo Airport on Sunday morning in connection with an alleged in-flight incident.

Jantjies’s agent James Adams, from In Touch Sports, confirmed yesterday that the flyhalf has been released from police custody and that he was doing okay. “I can’t comment any further on anything at the moment but we will release a press release in a couple of hours. I’m just waiting to speak to my client,” Adams told The Star.

This comes after the Rugby World Cup-winning athlete was reportedly arrested at OR Tambo Airport on Sunday morning after an alleged in-flight incident between Dubai and Johannesburg.

Details are sketchy at this point and a spokesperson for SA Rugby said they were investigating.

“We have been informed of Elton’s arrest but we are still in the process of gathering information,” the spokesperson said.

After news of the arrest broke, Gauteng SAPS spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe said: “A 31-year-old man had been arrested at OR Tambo International Airport for malicious damage to property belonging to the airline.”

Apparently Jantjies was arrested at 8.50am when his flight from Dubai landed and his identity was confirmed by a fellow passenger.

Mathe later confirmed that the 31-year-old man, who was arrested at OR Tambo, had been released on bail.

According to Jantjies’s social media platforms, he spent last week in Dubai.

Adams said his client was on holiday in Turkey but was returning to South Africa through a connecting flight in Dubai.

The 41-Test Springbok is based in Japan at the NTT Red Hurricanes but has been in South Africa for treatment of an injury.

The Star sent a media enquiry to Airports Company SA to determine the circumstances of the alleged in-flight incident, however, had not received a response from the organisation by the time of publication.