Krejcir bail hearing postponed

Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir is seen during an appearance in the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court on Monday, 24 February 2014 where he once again applied for bail. Krejcir, Siboniso Miya, Sandton businessman Desai Luphondo, and three members of the Hawks -- Samuel Modise Maropeng, George Jeff Nthoroane and Ian Jan Mofokeng -- were arrested for the kidnapping and attempted murder of an East Rand man.Picture: Werner Beukes/SAPA

Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir is seen during an appearance in the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court on Monday, 24 February 2014 where he once again applied for bail. Krejcir, Siboniso Miya, Sandton businessman Desai Luphondo, and three members of the Hawks -- Samuel Modise Maropeng, George Jeff Nthoroane and Ian Jan Mofokeng -- were arrested for the kidnapping and attempted murder of an East Rand man.Picture: Werner Beukes/SAPA

Published Feb 24, 2014

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Johannesburg - The bail application of Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir was postponed in the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court near Alberton on Monday.

The matter was set to continue on Friday, when a ruling was expected later in the day.

This was Krejcir's third bail attempt and his lawyer, Annelene van den Heever, argued what she said were new merits in the case.

She told the court some of the information contained in affidavits used to oppose Krejcir's last bail application was false, and some of it was obtained illegally.

She also argued that her client was denied bail based on hearsay information.

Van den Heever called for Krejcir's release, saying his businesses were suffering and he also needed to take care of his affairs with the SA Revenue Service, which claimed he was being investigated.

“Fleeing the country is not an option. If we (my family and I) don't fight, we'll be destitute,” Krejcir said in an affidavit.

He said he was willing to pay a substantial amount of bail, would surrender his family's passports (his had expired), and would agree to house arrest and would report to a local police station twice a day.

Prosecutor Louis Mashiane rubbished Krejcir's bail bid, saying no new evidence had been submitted.

He argued that Krejcir could have challenged the affidavits during his initial bail application but he did not.

He accused Krejcir of abusing the legal system and being economical with the truth.

Krejcir's wife, Katerina Krejcirova, was present for the proceedings.

The black-haired woman wore a black suit and sat next to their son and a blonde woman, believed to be Krejcir's mother.

They briefly chatted to Krejcir before the proceedings began.

Krejcir was arrested in November on kidnapping and attempted murder charges. Five others have since been arrested.

On Monday afternoon, Krejcir's co-accused Ä Siboniso Miya, Sandton businessman Desai Luphondo, and three members of the Hawks, Samuel Modise Maropeng, George Jeff Nthoroane and Ian Jan Mofokeng Ä later joined him in the dock where they received the indictment of their case.

The six men huddled in the dock, and one of them shook hands with Krejcir and engaged in conversation with him.

Their trial was set for May 5 to May 30 and would be heard in the High Court in Johannesburg.

All the men, except for Krejcir and Miya, were out on bail.

Miya had other pending investigations against him.

The group was allegedly linked to the kidnapping and attempted murder of a man whose brother, known only as “Doctor”, disappeared with a 25kg shipment of tik he had been recruited to help smuggle through OR Tambo International Airport.

The court heard on Monday that the value of the alleged drugs was R4 million and not R20 million as initially claimed.

The kidnapped man was allegedly kept at Krejcir's Money Point business in Bedfordview, Johannesburg, in June last year where he was reportedly assaulted for four days.

Krejcir has said he does not know the complainant.

Sapa

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