Despite unconfirmed reports that he has been found, the search for Allen Andrew Barnes continues. South African Police Services (SAPS) has announced that it will not yet close the investigation.
It has been revealed that Barnes is a financial board member for the Western Province Athletics Association (WPAA), and according to reports by the Edgemead Neighbourhood Watch, he has been “found and is unharmed”.
“The disappearance of Allen Barnes is still the subject of an investigation. It took investigators out of the Western Cape to probe the circumstances,” SAPS spokesperson Colonel André Traut said in a statement. “You may expect a further communication from this office once we are in a position to release more information.”
Barnes was first reported missing on Sunday, January 5, when the 53-year-old’s absence was noticed at an athletic event in Strandfontein that same day.
Last week, the search for the missing man was extended to Johannesburg after his abandoned car was discovered parked at the Cape Town International Airport. According to reports, Barnes left his home in Bothasig at 3am on Saturday, January 4. As his car was discovered at the airport, police followed up on a lead that indicated Barnes may have boarded a flight to Johannesburg.
Speaking to IOL, Western Province Athletics president Jakes Jacobs said the body has also launched its own independent investigation into Barnes’ disappearance, as “irregularities” have been discovered since he has been missing.
“As a board we have found irregularities since Mr Barnes’s disappearance, and we are conducting a full investigation into the matter,” Jacobs said.
Also read: Police search for missing Bothasig man
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