The father of murdered mining magnate Brett Kebble has reached an out-of-court settlement with John Stratton, one of the men accused of killing his son.
Roger Kebble had given notice of his intention to lodge a R15-million claim in the Cape High Court against Stratton and another murder accused, Glenn Agliotti. He said the money was needed for the upkeep of Brett’s four minor children.
Brett Kebble was shot in his car in Johannesburg in 2005.
Roger Kebble’s attorney, Kim Warren, said on Tuesday that her client had reached a confidential settlement with Stratton.
”It’s an overall settlement of everything between them,” she said.
Agliotti, who has already been charged with Brett’s murder and is out on bail, was not a party to the settlement.
Asked if Kebble would still pursue a claim against Agliotti, she said that in terms of the settlement she was ”unable to comment further”.
The R15-million claim was to have been against Stratton and Agliotti ”jointly and severally”.
Stratton was a co-director with the late Kebble of mining company JCI. South African authorities are seeking his extradition from Australia to stand trial alongside Agliotti.
In July, a Cape High Court judge granted Roger Kebble permission to sue Stratton even though he was overseas.
The judge also gave Kebble permission to attach all 50 of Stratton’s shares in a company named Portion 1 Erf 291 Saxonwold. According to the court papers, this step was necessary to give the court jurisdiction for the R15-million claim.
Kebble said in papers filed in the Cape High Court as part of the application that his son’s estate was insolvent and therefore unable to contribute to supporting the children, two boys and two girls, who range in age from seven to 17.
Their mother was unable to support them ”to the full extent of their needs”, which included school and sport costs, allowances, medical costs, transport and clothing.
”Accordingly I, as the grandfather of the minor children, am obliged to maintain the minor children insofar as these aspects are concerned,” Kebble said. ”I am entitled to recover these amounts from the persons responsible for the murder of the deceased.”
He said Agliotti and Stratton ”were accomplices, alternatively co-conspirators, in the wrongful and unlawful death of the deceased”. — Sapa