Krejcir: Cop wants no broadcast

Published Aug 6, 2014

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Johannesburg - A police officer testifying in the trial of Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir on Wednesday requested that audio and visual footage of his testimony not be broadcast.

Captain Bongani Gininda, who began testifying on Monday, had initially requested only that no visuals of him be broadcast.

He is testifying in a trial-within-a-trial of Krejcir and five others.

The matter came about after one of the accused, Desai Luphondo, alleged he was assaulted and influenced by police into making a confession.

Gininda has testified that he came in as an independent police officer to take down Luphondo's confession.

He said he had asked Luphondo whether he was assaulted or influenced prior to taking the statement. Luphondo said no, and had signed a document confirming this.

Gininda told the court he saw no physical evidence suggesting Luphondo was assaulted.

A record in the police occurrence book, however, contained an entry which stated that Luphondo had complained of being assaulted by police officers who arrested him the previous day.

He gave his confession to Gininda several hours later.

At the time the confession was delivered, Gininda was not part of any Krejcir investigations.

He became involved several weeks later after a national investigating team was formed to probe allegations of a conspiracy to murder the investigating officer in the case.

Krejcir, Luphondo, Warrant Officers Samuel “Saddam” Maropeng and George Nthoroane, Jan Lefu Mofokeng, and Siboniso Miya face charges of kidnapping, attempted murder, and dealing in drugs.

They allegedly recruited a man known as Doctor Nkosi to help smuggle 25kg of tik (methamphetamine) to Australia.

He worked for a cargo company at OR Tambo International Airport, and disappeared with the shipment.

Krejcir and his co-accused allegedly kidnapped and tortured his brother Bheki Lukhele in a bid to have him reveal his sibling's whereabouts.

Nkosi has also testified in the trial and confessed to stealing the drugs.

Sapa

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