Helicopter crash pilot arrested

POLICE have arrested a South African millionaire running a game farm near West Nicholson, his lawyer has confirmed.

Frikkie Lutzkie was arrested shortly after disembarking at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport on Monday, his attorney Vonani Majoko told Chronicle.

Lutzkie reportedly informed the authorities that he would be coming "to clear the air" following his involvement in a May 4 helicopter incident at Doddieburn Ranch that raised a lot of speculation after he buried the chopper.

Efforts to get a comment from police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba were in vain as a person who answered her mobile phone said she was busy.

However, Majoko said police took Lutzkie to Gwanda following the arrest and was brought to Bulawayo yesterday en route to Harare.

The lawyer added that the South African is yet to be informed of the charges he is facing.

"What we can confirm is that he has been in police custody since the 2nd of June. He flew into the country and landed at Bulawayo airport having made prior arrangements with the police that he was coming into the country to clear the air over allegations that he had committed certain offences as widely reported in the press," said Majoko.

"He did not come following any application for extradition, he came voluntarily. He was taken to Gwanda where he was held overnight, was then brought to Bulawayo on the 3rd enroute to Harare."

Lutzkie's arrest follows the deportation over the weekend of Kevin Bloom, a man whom he had seconded to Doddieburn Ranch to check on Russian tourists who were camped there, an impeccable source told Chronicle yesterday.

"I am an investor. I have not committed any crime. I have never been convicted of any crime in my life. What could I have done?"

Lourens Botha, Doddieburn Ranch manager and Pieter Marais, one of Lutzkie's alleged employees, are currently out on bail for allegedly working  without permits at the ranch and they have since been ordered to stay at their residence in Burnside.

Over the weekend, Chronicle established that the ranch has been placed under heavy security including a 24-hour surveillance that has seen law enforcement agents restricting visits to the property.

In an interview on Sunday, Lutzkie stuck to his previous version that he had not violated any of the country's laws as he buried the chopper in fear that some people, especially children, might tamper with it.

He said this could result in it exploding, injuring or killing people.

"I am an investor. I have not committed any crime. I have never been convicted of any crime in my life," he said.

"What could I have done? If there was an explosion and people died, I was going to be arrested my friend."