Arrested Hawk may be linked to murder

Radovan Krejcir outside the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court. Picture: Chris Collingridge

Radovan Krejcir outside the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court. Picture: Chris Collingridge

Published Nov 26, 2013

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Johannesburg -

A Hawks member has been arrested in connection with the kidnapping and attempted murder charges that Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir is facing.

The police arrested the warrant officer just after 8 on the East Rand on Tuesday morning, said SAPS spokesman Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale.

“It is always disappointing when we have to act in this manner against our own members but we cannot just shrug our shoulders and not act against those who are alleged to have contravened the laws of this country,” he said.

At the time of publication, the officer had not been named and Makgale said more arrests could not be ruled out.

“We cannot name any suspect before he appears in court,” said Makgale.

The 41-year-old man was arrested at the Germiston Organised Crime Unit for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping and attempted murder, which is believed to have taken place in Elsburg in June.

The National Prosecuting Authority finally named Desai Lupondo as the other man who was arrested in connection with the crime last Friday.

The Star understands that the warrant officer was also investigated in connection with the murder of businessman and alleged Krejcir associate Bassam Issa last month, but Makgale would not confirm this.

Issa had been indirectly linked to Krejcir, but it was reported that Krejcir denied having any dealings with him.

There was confusion about the number of arrests on Tuesday morning, as Makgale would only confirm one arrest while some media reports quoted the Hawks spokesman Paul Ramaloko as saying there had been two arrests.

Last week, the Mail & Guardian reported that the head of the Germiston Organised Crime Unit, Colonel Francois Steyn, had received a loan of R408 000 from a Krejcir-controlled company.

Steyn admitted to receiving the loan but denied he knew that Krejcir controlled the company, Group Twee Beleggings, whose sole director is Krejcir’s wife, Katerina Krejcirova.

Meanwhile, Krejcir’s legal team said their client’s first night at a medical facility, which cannot be named, had gone well.

The team, from BDK Attorneys, won an order in the Johannesburg High Court on Monday to allow Krejcir to be taken to a hospital for treatment.

Judge Ramarumo Monama also ordered that the State pay for Krejcir’s legal costs in this application.

“It was fine, he has been admitted and he’s been treated by doctors,” said Krejcir’s attorney Ulrich Roux on Tuesday morning.

“He’s obviously in better conditions and in better health,” Roux said.

The attorney on Monday slammed the State’s request to hold the bail application behind closed doors as he said this was the first time the police had said there were security issues.

The area around the courtroom where Krejcir appeared was cleared by heavily armed police for security concerns.

“The whole scene was over the top,” said Roux.

He said the Protea Glen police station, where Krejcir was kept over the weekend, had the standard amount of police security when they consulted with him.

There had been no beefed-up security measures ahead of the court appearance, he added.

“It was like consulting with a normal client – he might as well have been arrested for drunken driving,” Roux said.

It was not known when the suspect would appear in court. Krejcir is to be held in hospital until his bail application on Monday.

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The Star

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