Johannesburg - Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir's co-accused Desai Luphondo was on Tuesday alleged to have addressed a witness testifying in his trial in a “threatening” way.
“Shortly after the adjournment, accused number two pointed at the witness and in a threatening manner told him to stop lying,” prosecutor Louis Mashiane told the High Court in Johannesburg, sitting in Palm Ridge.
Judge Colin Lamont warned Luphondo and told all six accused that none of them could interact with the witnesses.
The threatened witness was Constable Junior Lerato Santi, the second witness to testify in the trial-within-a-trial currently being heard.
Santi was one of the police officers who arrested Luphondo on November 22, 2013.
Luphondo has alleged that the policemen who arrested him assaulted him and influenced him into making a confession.
The trial-within-a-trial was launched after Luphondo’s lawyer, Annelene van den Heever, objected to the confession being entered as evidence.
Krejcir, Luphondo, Warrant Officers Samuel “Saddam” Maropeng and George Nthoroane, Jan Lefu Mofokeng and Siboniso Miya are on trial for 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, when he disappeared with the shipment.
Krejcir and his co-accused allegedly then 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, where he confessed to stealing the drugs.
Sapa