Johannesburg - Police have announced what they said was a breakthrough in the Radovan Krejcir case, arresting a close ally who allegedly helped him to track down his enemies.
The victims were allegedly kidnapped and killed.
A source familiar with details of the case told The Star that for the past two years, the director of a Durban security company, whose name is known to this newspaper, used cellphone numbers and car-tracking systems to trace where the victims were, and furnished the alleged crime boss’s goon squads with their addresses.
“The hit men would know exactly where the victims were at any time. They would follow the victims, kidnap them and kill them,” said a police source, who wished to remain anonymous.
The Star understands that the Durban businessman, who was arrested at his home on Wednesday night, had put several people under surveillance on Krejcir’s instruction.
The man, who was believed to be close to Krejcir, provided VIP protection for the criminal underworld, police said.
“The company also provided nightclub bouncers for the criminal underworld who are suspected of dealing in drugs.”
An insider said police had recovered a list of phone numbers of people who had been monitored for the past two years by the man’s company for Krejcir.
“The (police) are still going to try to get information on the whereabouts of the owners of the phone numbers to determine whether they have been killed or disappeared.
“The cellphone numbers of the complainants and witnesses in Krejcir’s cases were also found at his place,” the source said.
The latest arrest comes two days after Bulgarian Lyubomir “Mike” Grigorov’s arrest in Benoni. Police have alleged Grigorov was the right-hand man to Krejcir and was the one who made payments to his hit men.
Grigorov was on bail after being arrested on two counts of fraud unrelated to Monday’s arrest.
The Star understands that more arrests of Krejcir associates are likely to follow this weekend.
Grigorov was expected to appear in court on Friday, where he would face charges of conspiracy to commit murder and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, along with Krejcir.
The Durban businessman was also expected to appear in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court alongside Krejcir, Siboniso Miya, Nkanyiso Mafunda, Jacob Nare and Owen Serero.
They are facing a charge of a conspiracy to murder forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan and police officer Colonel Nkosana Ximba, and for the murder of Zimbabwean Phumlani Ncube.
Police said they had foiled the assassination plot against O’Sullivan and Ximba in January.
Ncube, Krejcir’s alleged debt collector, was shot dead in Joburg and his naked body was found near Heidelberg, south-east of Joburg, in July last year.
Krejcir is also standing trial in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court for kidnapping the brother of a man who disappeared with drugs worth millions of rand in June last year. The drugs allegedly belonged to Krejcir.
Alleged captor-turned-State witness Paul Mkhabela testified in the kidnapping trial that a man he knew as Mike had recommended killing their victim.
The Star