Three men appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday in connection with the murder of German supercar conversion specialist Uwe Gemballa.
The case was postponed to April 5 as their legal representatives were not available on Friday.
Garlond Holworthy (32), Thabo Mohapi (36) and Kagiso Linken (29) walked into the courtroom with their jackets over their heads trying to hide their faces.
All three will stay in custody until April 5.
The three men were being charged with kidnapping and murdering Gemballa, an associate of Czech businessman Radovan Krejcir, who handed himself over to police early on Friday.
There was a heavy police presence outside court 11 on Friday.
Four officers in bulletproof vests, with helmets and rifles stood guard.
The officers were part of 24-hour protection for state prosecutor Riegal Du Toit, who is handling the matter.
Raid
Du Toit’s name was on a list found at Krejcir’s house during a raid earlier this week. Du Toit was involved in the investigation into Gemballa’s murder.
Krejcir handed himself over to the Hawks in Johannesburg during the early hours of Friday morning.
A raid on Krejcir’s home on Tuesday night by the Hawks discovered a list with four names on it. Du Toit’s name was one of the four.
Gemballa was linked to former Teazers boss Lolly Jackson, who was killed last year.
Hawks spokesperson McIntosh Polela said the issue of Kerjcir’s court appearance would come about as the day progressed. He would be charged with fraud.
Krejcir (42) was also being questioned on the death of underworld boss Cyril Beeka, who was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Cape Town earlier this week.
Krejcir was expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday on fraud charges. — Sapa