Johannesburg - The case against Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir and his three co-accused was not investigated, and was subsequently closed, the Palm Ridge Regional Court heard on Monday.
“There was a complaint by the victim that the case was opened but nothing was done about it, and that it was closed,” said investigating officer Freddy Mashudu Ramuhala.
He said the matter was then referred to a national task team appointed by national police commissioner Riah Phiyega to investigate for Krejcir and his alleged associates within the police.
Krejcir, Desai Luphondo, and two members of the Hawks, Warrant Officers Samuel Modise Maropeng and George Jeff Nthoroane, are applying for bail.
They were arrested last month and face charges of kidnapping, assault, and attempted murder in connection with an incident in June.
The case was reopened in October, Ramuhala said during cross examination by Eddie Classen, for Krejcir.
Ramuhala said the complainant in the case had wounds on his head and chest, and also had burn wounds.
When asked the extent of the burn wounds, Ramuhala said he did not know.
He had known that Krejcir was accused of involvement in the matter when he took over the investigation.
He denied that Krejcir was assaulted and placed in a police cell only after six hours.
He said he arrested Krejcir himself, and drove with him and other officers to arrest the rest of the co-accused.
“Accused number one (Krejcir) was not the only one not placed immediately into custody. Even accused two, three, and four were placed in cells hours later because we were busy doing our work and arresting them,” he said.
Classen put it to him that the reason Krejcir was held for hours before being placed in a cell was to extend his assault and torture to get information out of him.
Ramuhala denied this. He said the case was still under investigation, and that more suspects were sought.
Sapa