EXTRADITION ARGUMENT | 

Man wanted for gun murder of two Dublin men says ‘Irish Mafia’ will hunt him down

Neville van der Westhuizen (41) is wanted in connection with the 2014 killings of Eoin O’Connor and Anthony Keegan

Today at 09:23

A senior garda investigator has told a South African court there is no evidence of an Irish ‘mafia’ death threat against a man charged with the double murder of two Dublin men.

Dispositions from the Garda and an Irish prison officer were read out at the extradition hearing in Durban’s Regional Court of Neville van der Westhuizen yesterday, South African news website News24 have revealed.

Van der Westhuizen is wanted in Ireland in connection with the 2014 killings of Eoin O’Connor and Anthony Keegan,

The remains of 32-year-old O’Connor and 33-year-old Keegan were found wrapped in plastic sheeting and buried in a shallow grave on Inchicup Island, Lough Sheelin, Co Meath on May 26, 2014, weeks after they were reported missing.

Both victims are believed to have been shot dead.

The pair were not regarded as serious criminals by gardai.

It is alleged that van der Westhuizen fled to South Africa in 2014 in the wake of the killings.

In November, Interpol working with local police tracked Van der Westhuizen to a prison where he was serving a 15-year-sentence for a separate murder.

He is resisting an extradition request by gardaí, claiming that he would be killed as soon as he lands in Ireland.

This week, he gave evidence in court urging magistrate, Kevin Bruorton, to deny the request, saying he had received death threats from the brothers of the deceased as well as the Irish Republican Army, which Van der Westhuizen referred to as a ‘mafia.’

“The IRA is connected to the Irish judicial system and the police,” he said, according to News24. “They can kill. I’m concerned for my life.”

He claimed he had received death threats and that, “they said I would not get away with this [the double murder] and that they would hunt me down”.

Prosecutor, advocate Navin Sewparsat presented two affidavits, deposed by senior law enforcement officials in Ireland, in a bid to challenge Van der Westhuizen’s claims.

In the first affidavit, Sewparsat cited Garda Inspector Micheal Dorrigan, a senior investigating officer in the double-murder case against Van der Westhuizen.

In the affidavit, seen by News24, Dorrigan said: “I say that, to the best of my knowledge and information, there is no link between the case, or the offence with which Mr Van der Westhuizen is charged, and the Irish Republican Army.

“I further say that there is no intelligence that Neville van der Westhuizen is under threat by the IRA,” Dorrigan added.

Sewparsat then cited an affidavit by William Burke, an assistant principal officer with the Irish Prison System.

Sewparsat said Burke’s affidavit mentioned that, if Van der Westhuizen was found guilty, he would be interviewed and granted an opportunity to share his security concerns, after which action could be taken.

“With due respect, I don’t think you understand what you are talking about because you have never been to prison,” Van der Westhuizen replied. “Once you are in prison, it’s a different story.”

In a previous hearing, Van der Westhuizen’s lawyer, Ntando Cele, told Durban Regional Court he should not be extradited to stand trial in Ireland because of alleged threats to his life.

“My client is already serving a sentence in this country. It won’t make any sense for him to be taken to another country to stand trial while he is still in our prison system,” he said.

“Secondly, my client has received death threats. He has been told that he would be executed as soon as he lands on Irish grounds.

“Those who have made threats against him say they have connections in the Irish prison system.”

Eoin O’Connor and Anthony Keegan went missing after Eoin borrowed his mother’s car to travel to Ballyjamesduff in Co Cavan.

Before leaving Dublin, he is believed to have told a relative of his concerns over the visit.

When he failed to return home from the trip, his family raised the alarm.

The bodies were later found after a fisherman on the lake identified a smell coming from the tiny island.

The matter is expected back in court on Friday for arguments.