Johannesburg - The officer investigating Radovan Krejcir’s kidnapping and attempted murder case said the Czech fugitive’s alleged police accomplice owns two luxury cars - despite their not being registered in his name.
In the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, the attorney for the two Hawks officers argued that his clients should be released on bail.
The two men appeared alongside Krejcir and another accused, Desai Luphondo. All four are charged with kidnapping and attempted murder after an alleged R24 million drug deal went wrong in June, according to the State.
Victor Nkhwashu - attorney for the two accused Hawks officers, Samuel Modise “Saddam” Maruping and Machache George Jeff Nthoroane - asked investigating officer Captain Freddy Ramuhala to prove Maruping owns a blue Maserati and a red Ferrari, as the State had alleged in its opposition to bail.
Ramuhala admitted that the National Traffic Information System did not provide any information as to the owner of the vehicles and added that they did not know where the vehicles were bought.
“Wouldn’t it be correct to say you have information, not evidence, that he has a Maserati?” Nkhwashu asked.
In response, Ramuhala said: “If it is not registered in his name, it does not mean he does not own it.”
Nkhwashu also questioned why the State had failed to include in its docket a J88 medical report of injuries the person the four are alleged to have kidnapped and tortured suffered, even though it had been almost two months since the case was reopened on October 15.
Ramuhala said this was because the doctor who examined the man had gone to work in KwaZulu-Natal and they had struggled to get hold of him.
The investigating officer also said the two officers were likely to interfere with the investigation through their access to the court because of their police work.
The bail application continues.
The Star