KNYSNA NEWS - Private investigator Mike Bolhuis' probe into the disappearance of local businessman Bert Scheepers has shifted from determining whether he's alive or not, to who helped him disappear.
Bolhuis now believes Scheepers wilfully disappeared.
The Knysna businessman, who is about 1.9m tall and weighed about 90kg when he went missing, disappeared without a trace from his home on Thesen Islands on Thursday 9 May. In the time since his disappearance his family hired veteran Pretoria-based Bolhuis to take on the case in an attempt to suss out what had happened to Scheepers.
While there have been countless theories thrown around that have made their way through the grapevine, the prevailing theory among the general public is that Scheepers is still alive, having wilfully disappeared – a theory that Bolhuis' preliminary investigations have supported. "After thorough investigations we have deducted that Bert Scheepers is alive and he wilfully and willingly disappeared," Bolhuis said.
Having obtained permission from the family to make his findings public, Bolhuis stated that investigations indicated Scheepers "disappeared himself (sic) because of a financial situation as well as family matters". Bolhuis' initial investigations were aimed at ruling out any form of foul play such as murder or abduction, but now those investigations have shifted to determining who helped Scheepers disappear as well as an in-depth forensic financial investigation. Bolhuis also issued a warning to those who might be helping him, making them aware of the fact that they are aiding and abetting him and impeding a police investigation.
The PI also aired his frustration at Scheepers' wilful disappearance, making it abundantly clear that this is a serious offence in his eyes, because "there are really missing people and we are wasting time and money in finding him, it's costing the family quite a lot of money, it's very irresponsible".
Bolhuis once again urged Scheepers to come forward and "deal with the issues at hand".
Despite investigations indicating that he's alive, Bolhuis admitted that they have not been able to determine where the missing man is, stating that to his mind, Scheepers had planned this for some time.
Bolhuis and his team will be placing a hold on any of his possessions, in an attempt to lure Scheepers out of hiding, and said it's for his own safety that he be found. Bolhuis also stated that he thinks the family more or less suspected that Scheepers is alive.
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