Johannesburg - A extradition looms for Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir, yet another lawyer has threatened to withdraw representation because he hasn’t been paid.
The Star has learnt that Krejcir’s lawyer, Cliff Alexander, who also represents the Czech in his ongoing criminal trial, has threatened to withdraw from the extradition application if he isn’t paid, meaning further possible delays in proceedings.
This would be the fourth lawyer who had allegedly not been paid in full by Krejcir, including representatives from BDK Attorneys, Annelene van den Heever (during his previous criminal trial), and private attorney Nardus Grove.
Alexander told The Star that “should we not be in funds (before the next appearance), we will withdraw”.
However, he indicated he would still represent Krejcir in the ongoing murder trial for the alleged killing of Bedfordview drug kingpin Sam Issa.
Krejcir’s extradition hearing was supposed to commence on Thursday last week but had to be postponed to Thursday this week as Krejcir was not taken to the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court because of confusion over another urgent application he had launched.
On Tuesday last week, Krejcir launched an urgent application to have his “torturous” prison conditions relaxed, asking for full access to his legal representatives, among other requests.
However, because Correctional Services did not bring him to the high court in Pretoria that day, the case was rolled over to Thursday, the day of the extradition application.
Held at Kgosi Mampuru II prison - a prison with the infrastructure to continue the application - Krejcir asked to be transferred to a Joburg prison, “Centre C Maximum Security Correctional Facility”, for the duration of his current murder trial and that he be granted full access to his lawyer, which he claims he has never had.
Krejcir also demanded that he be allowed access to a private doctor and psychiatrist at his own expense, as well as the opportunity to have access to his personal computer and be allowed to video-call his family abroad - also at his own expense.
But according to Alexander, Krejcir withdrew the matter “on a technicality” on Thursday.
Meanwhile, The Star has learnt that the State currently supports the extradition application, and that the key argument of Krejcir’s opposition to the application has now fallen away.
Krejcir had initially applied for refugee status and lodged a case with the Refugee Appeals Board. Throughout the lengthy extradition proceedings, his lawyers have often postponed the matter pending the refugee status application.
But according to sources close to the case, Krejcir has dropped the refugee status appeal.
The same sources explained that this means the Kempton Park court will now have to weigh up the application by the Czech government to extradite Krejcir. If the court grants the extradition bid, it would then be up to the justice ministers of South Africa and the Czech Republic to negotiate a deal on whether Krejcir will have to stand for his multiple criminal trials in South Africa before he is returned to his home country.
A complication arises, however, as Justice Minister Michael Masutha may also have to broker a deal with the National Prosecuting Authority to potentially suspend Krejcir’s upcoming criminal proceedings to allow the extradition to go ahead.
The Star