Johannesburg - Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir and five co-accused pleaded not guilty to various charges in the High Court in Johannesburg sitting in Palm Ridge, on Monday.
Krejcir, Desai Luphondo, Samuel Modise Maropeng, George Jeff Nthoroane, Jan Lefu Mofokeng, and Siboniso Miya are on trial on charges of attempted murder and kidnapping.
Krejcir and Luphondo also face drug-dealing charges.
Each of the six pleaded not guilty to all the charges as they stood in front of Judge Collin Lamont.
Prosecutor Louis Mashiane read the charges to the men.
Krejcir's wife, Katerina Krejcirova, arrived moments before the trial started. She was accompanied by another woman and wore a black leather jacket and jeans. Krejcir, dressed in black, kept glancing and smiling at his wife seated in the gallery.
The State called its first witness, Peter Vusi Msimango, to give evidence.
Luphondo, Maropeng, Nthoroane, and Mofokeng were released on R5 000 bail each in December. Krejcir has been denied bail several times. - Sapa