A warrant of arrest has been authorised for the man who was instrumental in the arrest of Brian Wainstein - the “steroid king”.
|||Cape Town - A warrant of arrest has been authorised for the man who was instrumental in the arrest of Brian Wainstein.
Robert Matthey, 32, of Parklands did not arrive for a scheduled appearance in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday because he was in France for medical reasons, his lawyer, Lourina Wilson, said.
The court authorised the warrant for his arrest but held it over until his next appearance, on October 14.
Bail of R3 000 was set for Matthey, who has been charged with theft of a cellphone.
The charge relates to a January 19 incident - the same day Wainstein was arrested at a V&A Waterfront residence. Matthey, whose father, Louis, lived next to Wainstein, had filed a noise complaint with police.
The officers arrested Wainstein after recognising him as the man wanted by Interpol for drug-related crimes, counterfeiting or forgery.
A female friend of Wainstein allegedly took pictures of Matthey on her cellphone and, according to Matthey, threatened to harm him. Matthey grabbed the cellphone and deleted all the pictures. The cellphone was later returned.
Wainstein’s friend laid a charge of theft against Matthey.
* Wainstein, who is fighting his extradition to the US, is due to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
An indictment by US prosecutors alleges Wainstein ran an anabolic steroids distribution operation.
He also faces charges in the US of smuggling human growth hormones and of false branding.
jade.otto@inl.co.za
Cape Argus