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Oct 6, 2009
By NIVASHNI NAIR
Times Live
A Pretoria man will arrive in South Africa today without his 27-year-old son, whom Cambodian authorities blame for the death of one of his best friends.
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Andre Bester was released on bail on Monday but may not leave Cambodia until he is cleared of a charge of manslaughter in connection with the death of his friend, Paul Hutchins, 48, of Cape Town.
Hutchins was killed in a freak jet-ski accident almost three weeks ago.
Bester's brother, Bryan, told The Times that his father, Jan, would return home without Andre.
"My father is relieved that the fight for bail is over and that we have crossed the first hurdle, but he cannot remain in Cambodia," he said.
"At this stage, we don't know when Andre will come home but once my father is back in South Africa we will have clarity on what is going on."
He said that his brother's lawyer was expected to ask the Cambodian authorities yesterday for a trial date and details of the charge.
Bryan said his brother was "doing okay".
"My brother is traumatised by this unnecessary experience, but my dad says he is feeling much better since his release," he said
The two friends were working in Cambodia at the time of the accident.
Hutchins, a forester, fell off his jet-ski and was run over and killed by Bester's jet-ski.
It is understood that police arrested Bester after a US tourist's eyewitness account differed from Bester's version of the accident.
Hutchins's mother, Marion, and his sisters, Judy Saggers and Bev Tromp, left South Africa last week to sort out his affairs in Cambodia and repatriate his body.
His nephew, Brett Tromp, told The Times he did not know when his uncle's body would arrive in South Africa.
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