9th Interim Report - South Africa Government Online

The tablets cost between One Hundred and Sixty Five Rand (R165,00) and One
Hundred and Eighty Five Rand (R185,00) for a monthly supply on prescription and
are normally sold for Ten Rand (R10,00) to Twenty Rand (R20,00) per strip.
Such drugs cannot be kept in the prison hospital unless prescribed by a doctor and
accordingly such drugs should not be freely available at any prison. Dr Weinbrenn
confirmed that he had only prescribed Rohypnol tablets to one prisoner at the prison
hospital, namely Gary Benthin who presently used two (2mg) of Rohypnol per
night. It was possible however that the warders could have got such tablets on
prescription from other doctors.
2. EVIDENCE LED
Several witnesses testified before the Commission in support of the allegations
against Mr Lerm.
2.1 Michael Bellingan
Michael Bellingan a sentenced prisoner serving twenty five (25) years for murder at
the Johannesburg Prison hospital, testified that tablets such as Rohypnol and other
drugs like Mandrax and dagga are freely available at the Johannesburg Prison.
These tablets are sold for Two Rand (R2,00) per unit and between Ten Rand
(R10,00) and Twenty Rand (R20,00) per card.
On the 14 th July 2003, he was told by another inmate that a member, Mr Lerm from
C single cells was at the gate of their section with sleeping tablets for sale. He then
called another inmate Mr Richard Nortje, who agreed to go to the gate of their
section and purchase the tablets. He gave Mr Lerm a Fifty Rand note (R50,00) and
wrote down the serial number of the note.
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