João Rendeiro made police wait three hours before being arrested, hotel manager tells CNN Portugal
Afred Mabonde explained, exclusively to CNN Portugal, that the former banker “never had any kind of suspicious behavior” and confided that he was surprised when he came across South African inspectors who had two international arrest warrants in his possession.
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João Rendeiro made the South African police wait three hours before being arrested. The exclusive disclosure to CNN Portugal is by the manager of the South African hotel Forest Manor Boutique Guest House, where the former banker was trapped. It was also in the suite where he was usual that he spoke with journalist Júlio Magalhães.
The head of the hotel, located in one of the wealthiest areas of Durban, explains that the former BPP strongman was surprised by three inspectors from the South African authorities around 7:00.
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Rendeiro reportedly asked the agents to wait for him to shower, something that ended up taking about three hours.
“He closed the door and said: wait a minute and I’m going to take a shower. They waited three hours before arresting him. Then they arrested him and left ”, says Alfred Mabonde.
The manager explains that the former banker was very kind and helpful and that he walked around the common areas quite often.
Alfred Mabonde also adds that Rendeiro often left the tourist complex during the three weeks he was used to it.
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“Mr. João for me, in my experience, was a very nice man. I wasn’t stressed. He was just a normal person. I would go out, take a walk to the village, exercise, go out to drink coffee, go to the restaurant… I would say that I did not have any suspicious behavior”, he says.
The manager therefore confesses that he was surprised when, on December 11, he was questioned by the South African inspectors who had two international arrest warrants in their possession.
“I didn’t act like someone who was on the run from the police. In fact, I was surprised when you told me the police were looking for him. I was surprised “, concludes.
João Rendeiro returns this Monday to the court in Verulam, Durban, South Africa, but the discussion of the extradition process must be postponed. The former banker has been held in the prison facility in Westville, KwaZulu-Natal province, for 26 days.