The driver of murdered underworld boss Cyril Beeka has been arrested and may be charged with involvement in his murder. It has also been claimed that he may be deported to Serbia.
Beeka, allegedly linked to various drug and money-laundering syndicates, was believed to have been shot and killed while in his car by two men on a motorbike in Bellville in March. His driver was also hit.
Now sources close to the investigation have told Weekend Argus that the driver, alleged to be a Serbian hitman, was arrested last week and is being held in custody.
And police are investigating the possibility that one of the five bullets that hit Beeka was fired from within the car in which Beeka and his driver were travelling.
The exit and entry wound left by one of the bullets “did not correspond with being fired from outside the car”, said a source.
Commenting on whether the driver was involved, the source, who did not want to be named, said: “It’s a line of inquiry that’s being pursued.”
Meanwhile, South African and Serbian authorities are working together to try and establish the real identity of Beeka’s driver.
He was originally identified as Sasa Kovacevic, but according to a report published last week, he is a hitman from the Serbian mafia called Dobrosav Gavric.
A Serbian television and radio network, B92, reported last week that Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic had said a man had been arrested in Johannesburg but he could not confirm whether this was Gavric. Gavric was found guilty in Serbia of murdering Zeljko “Arkan” Raznatovic, the hit-squad commander of former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic.
Gavric reportedly fled Serbia in 2006 shortly after being sentenced to 30 years’ jail for the killing. “Arkan” was Serbia’s most infamous wartime paramilitary leader and mafia boss. Gavric, who killed two other people during the attack on “Arkan”, was wounded by bodyguard of “Arkan”.
B92 reported on Thursday that Dacic had said Serbian police had sent “all information necessary” for the identification of Gavric to the SAPS, and that the identification process could take several weeks.
“The person who was arrested in Johannesburg has been released on bail,” Davic was also quoted as saying. However, Weekend Argus sources say the man is in custody.
The New Age reported last week that Beeka’s driver’s fingerprints were sent to Interpol for verification and Serbia was expected to request his extradition.
Hawks spokesman McIntosh Polela would only say on Saturday: “We are working with Serbian authorities.”
At the time of Beeka’s murder, the driver was taken to hospital with arm and chest injuries.
Police confirmed he was later arrested for possession of 5 grams of cocaine found in his bag in Beeka’s car. A police investigator, who did not want to be named, said on Saturday the driver was due to appear in a Cape Town court in January. But this case was not connected to the driver’s arrest in Johannesburg last week.
At the time of Beeka’s murder, Polela said Beeka’s driver was “clearly not a target and was just caught in between the attack on the person who was the target”.
Shortly after Beeka’s killing, police raided the Joburg home of wealthy Czech fugitive, Radovan Krejcir, and allegedly found a hit list containing the names of five people, including Beeka.
Krejcir, who is out on R500 000 bail after being charged with fraud of R4.5 million, has denied involvement in the Beeka murder.
On Saturday, Beeka’s brother Daniel said the Beeka family had not been informed about any new developments or speculation that the driver of the vehicle was involved.
“We don’t know where they are going with the investigation. I last heard from the investigating officer in May. What I’m concerned about is their whole approach to the case.”- Weekend Argus
Additional reporting by Warda Meyer.