Johannesburg - The man accused of trying to kill detectives investigating Radovan Krejcir looks set to face an array of charges for other crimes – from armed robbery to escaping from custody.
But, according to the man’s lawyer, his safety is at stake after he was attacked by officers while in police custody.
Owen Serero appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday after the police had connected him to a string of hijackings.
State prosecutor Thomas Matlou told the court that these were not the only crimes Serero had been accused of. He would be facing charges related to other incidents of robbery.
Serero was among four suspects arrested last week for allegedly conspiring to kill forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan and Colonel Nkosana “Killer” Ximba.
O’Sullivan has indicated publicly that there was no love lost between him and Krejcir. Ximba is understood to be part of the task team investigating the Czech businessman.
Serero will, for now, be prosecuted in Joburg for the other crimes.
The court was originally informed by Serero’s legal aid representative that he would be abandoning his bail application for the hijacking case.
But Serero’s new lawyer, Victor Nkhwashu, put it on record on Wednesday that this would not be the case.
He then requested a transfer of his client from Pretoria Central police station, which magistrate Paul du Plessis granted.
Nkhwashu told reporters outside the court that Serero would be laying a charge of assault against the officers who allegedly attacked him.
For the hijacking case, the provisional charge sheet revealed that Serero was facing:
* three charges of robbery with aggravated circumstances,
* two of possession of illegal firearms,
* two of possession of illegal ammunition,
* one charge of escaping from custody, and
* one charge of contravening the Road Traffic Act.
Nkhwashu said he had not been informed how many charges Serero would face in connection with other armed robberies when he returns to court on Wednesday.
The Star