Founder: Turnaround Talk
It has been just over a year since the brutal murder of Cloete and Thomas Murray rocked South Africa. The barbaric act had a poignant impact on the liquidation space as it was believed that the pair were possibly in the process of a high-profile liquidation when the murder took place.
New evidence has come to light in the murder through an investigation carried out by News24 journalists. However, it has also come to light that the South African Police Services are possibly not doing as much to solve the case as they could be.
Camera evidence
The News24 article points out that the SAPS identified a key person of interest but have failed to interview him more than a year after Cloete and Thomas Murray were murdered in broad daylight on the busiest road in the country.
Within hours of the killings on 18 March 2023, the police had visited security staff at the upmarket Melrose Arch in Johannesburg and obtained access to CCTV footage showing the driver of a white Ford Ranger double-cab that followed the Murrays as they made their way back to Pretoria on the N1 North.
The article adds that gantry cameras operated by the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) captured a white Ranger on the scene of the shooting as the Murrays’ vehicle swerved on the highway, with the car’s GPS tracking data showing it came to a stop shortly thereafter.
A boom camera at the entrance to the underground parking had captured a clear image of the driver.
But, to date, the police have failed to interview him despite an identification being made within days. The police have also failed to return to secure the evidence appropriately with a subpoena, according to two sources with direct and first-hand knowledge of the investigation.
Other shortcomings
The article adds that a key analysis of cellphone data is also yet to be finalised because, despite the work being conducted by an external service provider, there have been extensive delays in the investigating team filing subpoenas with networks to obtain the necessary data – a problem exacerbated by infighting between different police divisions.
News24 has independently identified the man as Ryan Barwell, a well-known figure in the luxury car scene with links to known Johannesburg underworld figures. News24 has seen parts of the CCTV footage captured at Melrose Arch but was prohibited from copying the images.
Image By: Gary van Wyk/INDEPENDENT
Who is the key person of interest in the Murray murder?
The News24 article points out that sources close to the investigation first revealed Barwell’s identity as the driver to News24 shortly after the police made the identification.
The News24 investigation has centred on police efforts and missteps over the 12 months since the high-profile killings, revealing the failure to corral Barwell timeously before crucial evidence could be destroyed or covered up. Barwell, who told News24 he had rented the Ranger from “a friend” who owns a car dealership, whom he did not name, confirmed he no longer had possession of the bakkie.
He also claimed not to remember why he was at Melrose Arch on the day of the murders, saying he often visited the area. Barwell said he was unaware he was a person of interest in the double murder investigation and did not respond to detailed written questions. He also could not disclose the identity of his passenger.
News24 has seen a still image captured from CCTV footage showing a side profile of the individual but has yet to identify the man, who is believed to be the gunman who shot and fatally wounded the Murrays.
Accusations and disagreements
The News24 article points out that a team of three detectives from Gauteng’s Organised Crime Investigation Unit, under the leadership of Brigadier Pulane Gopane, and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, under the hand of a prosecutor, were formed in the early days of the investigation, but accusations and disagreements soon followed, resulting in the Hawks officials being “kicked out” by Gopane, according to a source close to the investigation.
This delayed the applications for and handing over of cellphone data, News24 can reveal, because one of the Hawks officers, whose name is known to News24, had taken this task under his purview but when cooperation was ended, the work stalled.
He could not be reached for comment. On 26 February, News24 sent a list of detailed questions to Gauteng police, asking why the investigation was being conducted so slowly and why the police had so far failed to interview key persons of interest.
Additionally, information on the police’s capacity to analyse cellphone data and the need for external service providers was also queried.
“The case is still under investigation and a team of detectives from Organised Crime is working tirelessly and following up all leads they receive. Unfortunately, we are not at liberty to discuss the investigation process or progress in the media space. The family of the victim[s] is being updated on the progress on a weekly basis,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili.
Some comfort for the Murray family
The News24 article points out that according to James Murray, Cloete’s eldest son, on 27 February the investigating officer informed him they had “started interviewing” people – almost a year after the killings.
According to Murray, this provided comfort, until the team requested urgent meetings with the Murray widows – Renata and Monet – on Thursday 7 March, and proceeded to ask them belated and routine questions. It is Murray’s view that the questions from News24 sparked action from the team investigating the murder of his father and brother. He said the family was “wholly unsatisfied with the updates” they were receiving.
Underworld
The News24 article points out that Barwell is known to have links to figures in the Johannesburg underworld and is also well known to legitimate and high-profile businessmen from years spent working at BMW dealer Sandton Auto and supercar dealership Daytona, also located in Melrose Arch.
Since 2017, however, Barwell was a partner at The 357 – a well-known performance car shop that was first located in Rivonia, but later moved to Kyalami – alongside Sanjay Adjodia, a well-known BMW specialist, and Ismail Vally, who has spent decades in the motor spares business.
Image By: Supplied
The News24 article points out that the 357 became a popular hangout among figures from the underworld and legitimate business worlds alike, with regular car meets and events, where senior police officials were often seen rubbing shoulders with other clientele, according to two individuals who have spent time at some of these events.
Barwell also has links to Rushil and Nishani Singh, the brother and sister duo whose nearly R200-million debt to Investec Bank the Murrays were in the process of recovering. Rushil gained attention for his slew of exclusive luxury McLaren cars, including a Senna and a P1, both models with a production run of less than 500 worldwide, worth more than R30 million each. News24 understands Singh and Adjodia have a longstanding relationship that developed around cars.
Both Cloete and Thomas were insolvency practitioners and were appointed by the Master of the High Court to wind up two companies linked to the Singhs – BIG Business Innovations Group and I2 Infinite Innovations. On the day they were murdered, the Murrays were securing three properties worth at least R26.2 million, located in Brooklyn and Waterkloof in Pretoria and Melrose Arch. They had made the appointment to meet the Singhs that Friday, 17 March 2023.
Justice for Cloete and Thomas Murray
When the murders took place, there were plenty of calls for swift action to be taken to solve the crime and to bring the perpetrators to book.
While the wheels of justice are slow in any country, particularly when there is an underworld element such as in the Murray murders, it seems as if molasses bogs down the South African wheels of justice.
Why was it essential for a swift resolution to this case? Obviously, and most importantly, the family deserves closure and justice. Second, it is critical to note that the Murrays were murdered while carrying out their jobs. The fact that they may have been amid an extremely high profile and highly sensitive liquidation will make any liquidator taking on similar cases sleep with one eye open. It is also a black mark against South Africa that has a recent history of murder for higher hitmen that will bring a premature end to any act that will expose high-profile individuals. It would be even worse if it ever came to light that the Murrays were in the process of executing a liquidation that involved politicians. How can we ever shake off the scourge of corruption when this takes place?
Justice for Cloete and Thomas Murray!
