‘New facts’ in Krejcir case

Radovan Krejcir. File picture: Bongiwe Mchunu

Radovan Krejcir. File picture: Bongiwe Mchunu

Published Mar 31, 2014

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Johannesburg - Radovan Krejcir wants out. In a surprising turn of events, the Czech fugitive has applied for bail for a fourth time on Monday morning.

Krejcir was arrested in November last year on attempted murder and kidnapping charges, along with four others, including three Hawks investigators, who allegedly assisted in the plot.

This relates to an incident where Krejcir and three other men allegedly kidnapped and assaulted a man whose brother disappeared with a shipment of tik he was meant to smuggle through OR Tambo International Airport.

He was denied his third bid for freedom at the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court in February.

However, on Monday morning, police sources said that Krejcir's legal team were bringing new facts to the court.

At his last bail bid, Krejcir told the court that his wife, Katerina Krejcirova, had to rely on his mother's financial support while he was in custody. “If I do not stay in this country and fight for what is rightfully ours, we will lose everything we have built up in this country over many years and we will be left totally destitute,” Krejcir said in his affidavit.

He also told the court that evidence from a SARS investigator used by the state to oppose bail at a previous application was “irregular” and should not have factored into the bail ruling.

Krejcir claimed these details in the SARS affidavit should have remained confidential as per the Tax Administration Act.

Meanwhile, at another bail application, he failed to convince the court he was not a flight risk.

His legal team argued that he was no longer in possession of a passport, meaning he was unlikely to flee.

But the magistrate ruled that even without a passport, Krejcir could use his connections to leave the country anyway.

Krejcir's lawyers had also failed to mention a previous conviction he had against him from the Czech republic.

Krejcir's wife, Katerina, and son, Denis were also arrested in February in connection with a fraud scheme and stolen car charges, after a stolen vehicle was discovered at their property in the Vaal.

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