Art Thief Caught
 In May 2005 Mr Clarence Badenhorst, was commissioned to investigate the theft of a R4 million Pierneef painting stolen from the SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation) in Johannesburg.
The police had made no headway and the SABC was getting frustrated at the lack of progress in the matter.
After spending weeks sifting through bits and pieces of information Mr Badenhorst managed to identify a suspect.
Further surveillance led to the whereabouts of the suspect who was eventually traced to an address within a kilometre of the SABC.
After careful observation the suspect was arrested after Mr Badenhorst passed along information of his hide-out to the police.
Mr Brett Urbasch denied everything and initially told Mr Badenhorst that he had burnt the painting. A search of the home where he was arrested proved that he was the thief despite his denial thereof.
Evidence was also found indicating that he had a history of forging paintings and fraud. Mr Urbasch was found guilty in the Sophiatown Court and sentenced to 8 years imprisonment. At his trial Mr Badenhorst gave evidence for the prosecution and we believe this evidence greatly assisted in the heavy sentence imposed by the magistrate.
Brett Urbasch committed suicide in prison barely 3 months thereafter, he took with him to his grave the whereabouts of the painting. He insisted at the trial, that he had burnt the painting even though Mr Badenhorst had discovered that the painting had been cut up into possibly 3 pieces and that 2 pieces had been offered to 'the trade' in Durban, South Africa.
Mr Badenhorst's investigations are ongoing and he has vowed not to rest until he has solved, at his own expense the matter of the most valuable art theft in the history of South Africa.
Mr Badenhorst during his investigations discovered what appeared to be the disappearance of around R25 million of artwork from the SABC. He pointed this out to management who where not interested in persuing the matter further.
The perpetrator, Mr Brett Urbasch on CCTV
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