Cape Town – Springbok flyhalf Elton Jantjies appeared briefly in the Kempton Park magistrate’s court on Monday after being arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Sunday.
Jantjies was detained on Sunday in Johannesburg and charged with causing malicious damage to property, a police spokesperson said.
The 31-year-old understudy to Handre Pollard, who has played 41 times for the Springboks, allegedly damaged property of an airline he had flown with from Dubai to Johannesburg.
Police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe confirmed that Jantjies was detained after arriving in South Africa and later released on R1 000 ($62/60 euros) bail.
“The SAPS (South African Police Service) can confirm that the 31-year-old man who was arrested at the OR Tambo International Airport for malicious damage to property has been released on bail,” AFP quoted police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe as saying.
ALSO READ: Springbok Jantjies released on bail after being held for allegedly damaging airline property
Times Live reported that Jantjies’ lawyer Nabeela Moola opposed an application by the media for permission to record court proceedings, arguing this would prejudice him by tarnishing his image and could lead to him losing his job as an international professional athlete.
However, the court ruled in favour of the media.
In the videos making rounds on social media, Jantjies can be seen arriving at court wearing a black coat, accompanied by his mother and flanked by bodyguards.
On another one, he can be seen leaving the court.
The case was reportedly rescheduled to June.
Jantjies made his professional debut in 2011 with the Johannesburg-based Lions and was loaned to French Top 14 club Pau in 2021 before joining Japanese outfit NTT Red Hurricanes this year.
Watch the video below:
World Cup-winning flyhalf Elton Jantjies arriving at the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court. @News24 @TeamNews24 pic.twitter.com/LsHM93utB3
— Iavan Pijoos (@iavanpijoos) May 16, 2022
Springbok flyhalf Elton Jantjies leaves the Kempton Park magistrates court where he appeared briefly on a charge of malicious damage to property. @TimesLIVE @SowetanLIVE #EltonJantjies pic.twitter.com/TSz6K7oqpB
— Isaac Mahlangu (@IsaacPat) May 16, 2022
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Picture: Twitter / @KarenELotter
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Compiled by Sinothando Siyolo
Additional reporting by AFP
