In a dramatic week in which six suspects were arrested and appeared in court, police are building a case against the person who ordered her murder.

Henning, 26, was gunned down by two men on a motorbike shortly after dropping off her four-year-old son at his creche in Faerie Glen, in eastern Pretoria, almost two weeks ago. The blonde teaching assistant was embroiled in a bitter divorce and custody battle with her child's father, Nico Henning, 45.

Those arrested - ranging from a drug-addicted policeman and a Nigerian security company boss to Henning's estranged husband's best friend - are still in custody.

Nico Henning, in his first and only interview since the murder, told the Sunday Times he had "continually assisted the police". "I am worried about my safety and my child's," he said.

He spoke before his friend, former policeman Andre Gouws, appeared in court as an accomplice to the murder.

However, details about his past have also caught the attention of the team of investigators from both the police and the Hawks.

The Sunday Times has established that:

Nico Henning's first marriage also ended acrimoniously;
His first wife's family have given police a statement on the unhappy and short-lived marriage;
Gouws attended Nico's and Chanelle's lavish wedding in 2006, although the bride intensely disliked him; and
Nico posted guards outside his house in Pecanwood Estate in Hartbeespoort, Gauteng, this week.
He was a prosecutor and defence lawyer before building his business empire. He is also a pilot and owns two small aircraft .

His father, Dr Almero Henning, was beaten to death with a hammer on his farm in the Eastern Cape in 1994.

Nico was a prosecutor in Bell-ville, Cape Town, at the time and made a public plea for the death penalty to be reinstated.

He was quoted in Die Burger newspaper, saying: "I blame the government for the chaos in this country, and judges' hands are tied because they can't hand down the death penalty."

He said he wanted to leave the country because "a person's life is worthless".

On Thursday, Nico said he was cooperating with the police investigation and would continue to do so. He said: "It's a very difficult time for me."

The family of his first wife said Nico approached them last year to get a character statement to help in his custody battle. But they refused.

Police are now confident their main suspect will be behind bars soon, with an official close to the case saying they were "tightening the screws" and building a "watertight" case. "We are 101% certain we have our man. His arrest is imminent."

So far police have arrested:

Suspended police constable and drug addict Gerhardus "Doepie" du Plessis, who is believed to have been the gunman;
Former Nigerian Olympic athlete and suspected druglord Ambrose Monye, who police believe organised the hit;
Nico's friend, Gouws, who is understood to have been the "middle man" between the mastermind and Monye;
Deon Schoeman, 20, who is alleged to have stolen the firearm and is the only suspect out on R1 000 bail;
Preshan Singh, 24, who allegedly acquired the gun from Schoeman; and
Willem Pieterse, who is believed to have driven the getaway bike.
The accused are charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and a range of other crimes. They will again appear in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.

A former colleague of Du Plessis said the disgraced cop was "not a bad guy until he got hooked on drugs".

Henning's parents, Ivan and Sharon Saincic, said they were disappointed that a judge on Thursday again placed their grandson with foster parents.

The boy had been in the custody of his father, and the Saincics had visitation rights. They will now have to undergo assessments to see if they are fit and able custodians of the boy.

Still reeling, Ivan revealed how Nico swept their daughter off her feet and asked him for her hand in marriage.

He said: "He took us to The Palace [at Sun City] and asked for her hand. He promised to treat her like a queen."



http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2011/11/20/murdered-mom-cops-closing-in-on-mastermind-behind-the-hit

[size=30pt]The Big Dog with a savage bite[/size]


HE IS regarded as one of Pretoria's most dangerous men - the "go-to guy" if you want someone's legs broken or need protection via his company, Big Dog Security.

Earlier this month, former Nigerian Olympic athlete Ambrose Monye was acquitted of murder after beating a man to death. Now he is back behind bars in connection with the murder of young mother Chanelle Henning.

Monye has long been on the police's radar for his alleged involvement in drug dealing. But his latest brush with the law looks set to bring down the empire he has built over the past decade he is believed to have been in South Africa.

He competed at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games in South Korea.

Security industry sources told the Sunday Times that the muscular strongman went nowhere without his burly bodyguards and struck fear in the hearts of those who crossed him.

It's unclear when exactly he came to South Africa. He married a South African woman, Pontsho Khosholo, in 2001. Once a member of Tshwane's Metro Police, Khosholo has since died.

Investigators involved in the Henning murder probe are now trying to piece together how Monye ended up in South Africa and acquired South African citizenship, and if it was all done legally.

One of the main issues is his age. His ID number suggests he is 37 - which means he would have participated in the Olympics at 14 - but it's believed he is much older.

He is understood to own several properties, but not in his own name, and frequently travelled abroad.

He is described as aggressive and was acquitted on a charge of murder after beating a 48-year-old motorist, Neville Olivier, to death in 2009.

He successfully argued in court that he acted in self-defence against Olivier and his three friends.

One private investigator said Monye was known for having "a short fuse", saying: "He once rented a property in Pretoria and, in a fit of rage, damaged the property extensively and ripped out the airconditioning system , he is as strong as a beast and very dangerous."

Monye is registered under the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) as a Grade A officer - the highest possible qualification - meaning he can hold a directorship in a private security company.

While his company was meant to protect, he has had numerous brushes with the law. However, a number of assault and other cases against him seem to have gone nowhere.

A Pretoria-based private investigator said it proved "Ambrose bought himself protection in the police, [as] money was no object for this guy".

Celebrity private investigator Mike Bolhuis described Monye as the "kingpin of Pretoria's underworld".

"While a lot of the usual suspects in Pretoria's gangland have gone quiet over the past few years, Monye has simply gone from strength to strength. I know he has influence in the police and is untouchable," said Bolhuis.

Monye admitted being a muscleman for his clients and, in a sworn affidavit in April this year, said he acted as "protection" for 1980s Afrikaans TV presenter Visser du Plessis.

Du Plessis is now a diamond dealer in Pretoria, and Monye claimed in his statement that he was once his personal debt collector and bodyguard.

Du Plessis scoffed at the claim this week, saying: "I've only met him once, five years ago, and never used his services. But I do know of his reputation."

Controversial lawyer Peet Viljoen, who was recently struck from the roll because of fraud allegations, also admitted to knowing Monye.

He described him as "a very dangerous man".

What is south africa doing to these nigerians.

ie what is that country turning them into?

[size=20pt]Former Nigerian Olympic athlete and suspected BIAFRAN-WAR, druglord Ambrose Monye, who police believe organised the hit[/size]

Uhm-Hmm!

[size=20pt]One of the main issues is his age. His ID number suggests he is 37 - which means he would have participated in the Olympics at 14 - but it's believed he is much older.[/size]

Make dem check im blokos abeg!

hm