Krejcir faces murder charge

021213. Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir and his co-accused appeared at the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court today. Krejcir's allegations are assault, kidnapping and attempeted murder. 159 Picture: Dumisani Sibeko

021213. Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir and his co-accused appeared at the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court today. Krejcir's allegations are assault, kidnapping and attempeted murder. 159 Picture: Dumisani Sibeko

Published Apr 22, 2014

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Johannesburg - Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir and three co-accused face a charge of murder, the Alexandra Magistrate's Court heard on Tuesday.

"I am adding another charge, of the murder of Phumlani Ncube, to the case," said prosecutor Lawrence Gcaba.

"The murder charge is against accused one, five, six and seven."

Krejcir, Siboniso Miya, police sergeant Nandi Nkosi, and Nkanyiso Mafunda are accused of the murder of Ncube.

Ncube was killed in July last year. His body was found dumped in Heidelberg.

Krejcir, Miya, Zoduma Biyela, Jacob Nare, Mafunda, Nkosi, and Owen Serero appeared before Magistrate Renier Boshoff on charges of conspiring to commit murder.

They are all alleged to have been part of a group that conspired to kill police Colonel Nkosana Ximba and investigator Paul O'Sullivan.

The two men had been investigating Krejcir.

The first four suspects, Miya, Biyela, Nare, and Serero, were arrested on January 9.

Nkosi and Krejcir were subsequently arrested and charged in March.

Boshoff granted the State a request for a postponement for further investigation.

"The magnitude of this case, even at face value, indicates that this is a complex matter," Boshoff said.

"I will grant the postponement so that the State finalises its investigation."

Gcaba said a DNA test, and fingerprint investigations from five vehicles and firearms in the case still needed to be completed.

Another application would be brought against Mafunda at a later stage, he said.

Lawyers for each of the accused objected to the request for a postponement.

Annelene van der Heever, for Krejcir, said the request was an abuse of the justice system.

"The request is unreasonable, especially in the absence of further information from the State."

There was tight security around the accused in the courtroom.

Relatives of the accused filled the public gallery. Ncube's family sat quietly as they listened to the proceedings. His mother kept wiping tears from her eyes after Gcaba announced her son's name in court.

One of Ncube's family members, who refused to be named, said the family had lost a loving father and breadwinner.

"We depended on him for everything... and he looked after us very well. His children miss him every day," she said.

Ncube, a father of three, had planned to take her children out for an outing the weekend before he was found dead.

The woman said: "We are pleased that someone will now have to answer for his death. Justice must be served."

Krejcir's wife Katerina Krejcirova arrived with their son Dennis and a lawyer.

Earlier, before proceedings started, she handed a suit to one of the heavily-armed police officers at the court for Krejcir to wear.

Boshoff postponed the case to June 13. - Sapa

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