/ 9 January 2014

Radovan Krejcir judgment expected

Radovan Krejcir Judgment Expected

Judgment in an urgent application to overturn a court's decision to deny Czech businessperson Radovan Krejcir bail is expected to be handed down in the high court in Johannesburg on Thursday.

Krejcir was not present when the application was brought on Friday, the Saturday Star reported.

Krejcir, Desai Luphondo and Hawks members Warrant Officers Samuel Modise Maropeng and George Jeff Nthoroane were arrested in November and face charges of kidnapping, assault and attempted murder.

In June, they allegedly kidnapped and assaulted the brother of a man who disappeared with 25kg of tik, which he had been recruited to help smuggle.

On December 13, Palm Ridge magistrate Reginald Dama denied Krejcir bail.

According to the Saturday Star, Krejcir's lawyer Francois Roets said he believed the charges Krejcir and his co-accused faced should not be classified as schedule five offences.

'Suitable character for bail'
In a bail application for a schedule five offence, the accused has to prove that it is in the interests of justice for them to be released.

Roets told the judge that Krejcir was "a suitable character for bail".

The judge raised the issue that Krejcir had previously escaped the Czech Republic by cycling to Poland, but Roets said that this was because Krejcir had feared for his life after his father was killed.

Roets said Krejcir stood to lose R60 million if he skipped bail. – (Sapa)