Johannesburg - Radovan Krejcir has denied that he was the mastermind of a R24 million drug deal gone wrong and claimed he knew one of his co-accused only because they were going to open a curio shop together.
Krejcir is applying for bail in the Germiston Regional Court, sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court.
He appeared on Wednesday along with his three co-accused - Desai Luphondo and Hawks members Samuel Modise “Saddam” Maruping and Machache George Jeff Nthoroane - who are all applying for bail.
They were arrested on charges of kidnapping and attempted murder over an alleged drug deal gone wrong in June.
“(Luphondo) had an interest, along with a business associate of his, in a company that sought to tender to acquire a curio shop in the duty-free section at the OR Tambo International Airport,” Krejcir said in an affidavit responding to the State’s allegations that Luphondo was his “drug pusher”.
He said he was introduced to Luphondo two years ago.
Krejcir said he negotiated to acquire 40 percent equity in Luphondo’s company if he won the award to open the shop.
However, State prosecutor Louis Mashiane said it was “such a coincidence” that of all the investors Luphondo could have met, it was Krejcir.
Krejcir also denied involvement in any drug deal or knowledge of “Doctor”, the man who the State alleged vanished with Krejcir’s drugs and whose brother the four accused are alleged to have kidnapped and tortured.
The men’s bail application was postponed to Friday because magistrate Reginald Dama wanted the investigating officer, Freddy Ramuhala, to testify.
The State argued that Krejcir should be denied bail because he has evaded trial before and is likely to do it again.
Mashiane said Krejcir had proved himself a flight risk by fleeing from tax-evasion charges in his native Czech Republic in 2005.
“We can’t shy away from the past,” Mashiane said.
The Star