- A former bodyguard of ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule is being tried for the theft of a painting worth millions.
- Ricardo Mettler claims Magashule gave him the painting as a gift, but this is being disputed.
- The painting by JH Pierneef is estimated to be worth around R8 million and belongs to the state.
A former bodyguard accused of stealing a painting worth millions from the office of the Free State premier claims former premier Ace Magashule, now the secretary-general of the ANC, gave it to him as a gift.
The case against Ricardo Metler is currently being heard in the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein.
The painting, by South African painter JH Pierneef, was allegedly removed from a safe in Magashule's office in March 2018.
Depicting a mountainous landscape in Free State, the undated Pierneef belongs to the Free State government. Since Pierneef is considered to be one of South Africa's old masters, the painting was valued at approximately R8 million when it went missing two years ago, Arts24 reported.
But Metler this week maintained that Magashule had given him the painting, and other gifts, when he vacated the premier's office, according to Netwerk24.
Mettler reportedly said he initially did not pay attention to the painting in its golden frame. It was among the pile of goods that Magashule donated to him, he said. He later realised that it was valuable. If he had known it was a state asset, he would not have taken it, he said. A bar code that would have identified the painting as a state asset was missing.
Given as surety
The painting was then given to businessman Wei-Lin Hsu as surety when Mettler asked him to lend him R2.1 million.
Wei-Lin called auction house Strauss & Co to enquire about the painting's value, origins and ownership.
In trying to find out who owned the painting, Strauss & Co drew attention to the work by including an image of the painting in an advertisement for an upcoming auction. After seeing the advertisement, an art buyer familiar with the provincial government's collection notified officials that the Pierneef may have been stolen.
The painting's missing status then became official in September 2018.
The court has heard testimony from several witnesses, including Magashule.
According to Netwerk24, Magashule testified that he did not know whether Pierneef was a person or a painting, and that he would not have given away state assets as gifts.
When news of the missing painting became known, Magashule asked Mettler about it, but he said he only took things that did not have a bar code on them.
"I specifically asked about the painting and he said it did not have a bar code," Magashule testified, according to Netwerk24.
Unsigned letter
Wei-Lin, a property developer from the Woodland Hills estate near Bloemfontein, also testified before Judge Soma Naidoo.
He reportedly told the court that Mettler told him he had asked Magashule if he could take the painting, to which the former premier seemingly agreed.
On Thursday, Magashule's former personal assistant testified from Washington in the US via Zoom.
Moroadi Cholota reportedly testified that Mettler had asked her to issue a letter granting him permission to remove gifts he seemingly received from Magashule from the building. She refused, but allowed him to type the letter himself, using her computer. She testified that she had no reason to suspect Mettler of any wrongdoing, Netwerk24 reported.
Magashule reportedly testified that he was not aware of the unsigned letter.
The case resumes on Monday.
- Compiled by Riaan Grobler