Journalist arrested over explosive threat at World Cup Draw venue
An unidentified journalist has been arrested for making remarks that he had explosives in his bag at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Friday ahead of the 2010 Fifa World Cup Final Draw.
Police Spokesperson Senior Superintendent Vish Naidoo said the South African police service explosives unit had swept the venue and found no explosives. He said the journalist would be charged in terms of the country’s Explosives Act.
“A journalist made a threat to security officials that there were explosives in the bag and dropped the back and tried to flee, but he was arrest and police are treating the threat seriously,” he said.
Naidoo said the South African security agencies had to treat each threat as an actuality as part of the event’s security detail.
Naidoo emphasised that no explosives were found in the bag and at the World Cup Final Draw venue.
The journalist could face possible jail time if found guilty.
The police spokesperson said a similar threat was received at the Cape Town International Airport earlier on Friday morning and was treated in a similar fashion.
(sa2010.gov.za)
