The mother of Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir arrived in South Africa yesterday. She was questioned by officials minutes after landing in what was described as a “routine questioning of potentially high-risk people”.
Sars spokesman Adrian Lackay said the questioning of Nadezda Krejcirova was part of a routine verification check of passengers. “The check was done; no irregularities were found and she was released.”
Krejcirova, 64, landed at OR Tambo International Airport yesterday amid tight security.
Hawks spokesman Macintosh Polela declined to comment and referred all questions to Lackay.
But it is believed that as Customs and Revenue Services officials questioned millionairess Krejcirova, several people linked to Krejcir may have managed to give undercover police officers and national intelligence agents the slip.
Krejcir, who was arrested a week ago in connection with a multimillion rand life insurance fraud scam, is scheduled to appear in the Johannesburg Regional Court today.
This followed a raid on his Bedfordview mansion and the discovery of a suspected hit list containing the names of his alleged criminal adversaries, a prosecutor and private investigator Paul O’Sullivan.
His appearance comes as four senior crime intelligence officers, including national crime intelligence head Lieutenant-General Richard Mdluli are also due to appear in the Boksburg Regional Court today on charges of murder.
Mdluli, who is appearing in connection with the murder of his ex-lover’s husband, has been fingered by O’Sullivan and the Hawks as allegedly being behind the sabotage of police investigations into Krejcir.
The investigations are into, among other crimes, money laundering and murders, including those of Lolly Jackson, German supercar trader Uwe Gemballa and Cape Town crime boss Cyril Beeka.
The three are believed to have been killed after Krejcir, who is alleged to be trying to position himself as South Africa’s top crime don, learnt of their apparent deals with police and the National Prosecuting Authority to become State witnesses in criminal cases linked to the Czech.
Krejcir was arrested after he handed himself over to the Hawks after being on the run for three days.
Krejcir’s smartly dressed mother, wearing a white leather jacket and jeans, was taken into an undisclosed Customs office after passing through a checkpoint shortly after landing on Emirates flight EK761 from Dubai.
Undercover officers, who tried to blend in with news teams waiting for Krejcirova, photographed reporters, cameramen and Krejcir’s son, Dennis, as well as his father’s Czech associate, Miloslav Potisca.
Listed by the Prague Post as the Czech Republic’s 10th richest woman, Krejcirova, who is in control of Tesin Printing Works and has amassed a fortune of 360 million koruna (R180-million), eventually walked out into the international arrivals hall smiling and posing for photographs.
Escorted by a customs official, Krejcirova, quickly became annoyed when asked how she felt about her son’s court case.
“No comment. I say again no comment,” she snapped.
Escorted by heavily armed members of the SAPS national intervention unit through the arrivals hall, Krejcirova was met by her grandson and Potisca, who had earlier tried to evade the media. Krejcirova could be seen angrily talking on a cellphone before being driven off in a white Mercedes-Benz ML320 CDI 4x4.
An airport security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they strongly believed that Krejcirova had been the decoy.
“I believe that we were well and truly duped. She travelled on her own passport and did not use any form of disguise.
“It was as though someone wanted us to stop and question her.
“We had information that she was carrying a large sum of cash with her and while we questioned her someone else linked to this saga possibly gave us the slip.”
He said it was believed Krejcir was having the money smuggled into the country as his bank account, and those of his family, friends and associates are being monitored. “Smuggling the money into the country would be one way for him being able to pay for the job to be finished. He is alleged to have had people killed while in prison in the Czech Republic so it would not be surprising if it happens here.” - Pretoria News