THE police will not give up the search for the "criminals" featured in an eNews insert that has been linked to the suicide of the man said to be the TV channel's source, writes Sally Evans in The Times.
Soweto DJ Lucky Phungula took his life on Tuesday morning, apparently unable to deal with the pressure of being involved in the story, which told of threats to rob tourists during the soccer World Cup.
Phungula said that his friend, Mpho Lakaje, the journalist who reportedly brought him into contact with eNews, had landed him in a "mess".
The police have condemned the channel for "harbouring" criminals and have instituted legal action which could have forced eNews to reveal its source. The channel later confirmed that Phungula was its source.
Police ministry spokesman Zweli Mnisi said the channel claimed that, because of Phungula's death, it was no longer able to contact the criminals who had been interviewed.
Lakaje and eNews group news editor Ben Said are to appear in court on Monday to face charges related to section 205 of the Criminal Procedure Act, which is used to compel unco-operative witnesses to give evidence, Mnisi said.
"If they [Said and Lakaje] give us the information we are asking for before Monday, then things will obviously change."
Musa Zondi, spokesman for the specialist crime-fighting unit the Hawks said the police had not tracked down "the second criminal" interviewed by eNews on Friday. The police are assuming that Phungula was one of the men interviewed.
Click here to read the full report, posted on timeslive.co.za.
