St. George’s Cathedral arson suspect due in court

CAPE TOWN - Police have arrested a 40-year-old man in connection with the fire that broke out at St. George's Cathedral at the weekend after he was captured on surveillance cameras in the vicinity.

Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said the suspect was due to appear in court on Tuesday.

“Our investigation into the circumstances surrounding a fire that broke out in the basement of the St. George's Cathedral in Wale Street, Cape Town, during the early hours of (Sunday) morning led to the arrest of a 40-year-old man.

“Surveillance cameras of a hospitality establishment in the area captured footage of a possible suspect who was spotted close to the crime scene when detectives conducted their investigation,” Traut said.

He was arrested on a charge of arson.

The motive for the arson is yet to be established, Traut said.

According to reports a member of the public saw a fire in the basement of the church and alerted the security before 2am.

Father Michael Weeder on Sunday said it appeared that a lit piece of cotton or gauze was thrown through the small, barred window near the steps leading up to the cathedral's entrance.

“Someone was spotted running away from the cathedral.

“The burglar bars had to be broken so that the firefighters could gain access. The cloister area door also had to be broken open as at one stage the firefighters thought the fire was actually inside the cathedral,“ he said.

Cape Times

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