The bodies of people associated with Radovan Krejcir have been piling up since the Czech fugitive entered South Africa on a false passport in 2007.
Others, including forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan, one-time cellmate George Smith, and crime intelligence top cop Joey Mabasa have all been linked to the complex story surrounding Krejcir.
It’s like something out of a mafia movie, but one that’s tricky to keep track of.
How are they involved and why is Krejcir the main player?
The players
Radovan Krejcir:
The underworld kingpin
Country of Origin: Czech Republic
A case of fraud against the Czech national is currently under way in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s court. Krejcir handed himself over to the head of the Hawks on March 25 2011, following a dramatic raid on his house by officials three days earlier. Together with his doctor, urologist Marian Tupy, the two falsified medical records saying Krejcir had cancer and he was subsequently paid over R4-million on a life policy.
Events leading up to his arrest
- He fled the Czech Republic for the Seychelles in 2005, three years after his father, Lambert was murdered for political reasons
- He came to South Africa via Madagascar in 2007
- He is sought on charges of fraud and kidnapping in his country and is facing charges of murder and fraud in South Africa. He is also alleged to have links to human trafficking, drugs, money-laundering and prostitution
- During the police raid of his house on March 22 2011, an alleged “hit-list” was found with the following names: Cyril Beeka, state prosecutor Riegal Du Toit (who is currently involved in Krejcir’s fraud case), security consultant Paul O’Sullivan and Tupy
Cyril Beeka
The controversial security boss
Country of Origin: South Africa
Beeka’s assassination in his car by a gunman — one of two men on a motorbike — in Cape Town on March 21 2011 put the activities of the underworld on the spotlight once again, almost a year after the death of strip club owner Lolly Jackson. It has since been reported that Beeka was an intelligence operative working for the South African government. Though believed to have been involved in a number of criminal activities, the father of four never spent a day in jail. He was buried in Cape Town on April 2 2011.
Links to Krejcir
- Beeka and Krejcir were friends and business partners in alleged deals in gold and uncut diamonds
- He hit Krejcir in front of other patrons at a Cape Town night club in November 2010, and their relationship was never the same
- Beeka is said to have been at the top of Krejcir’s alleged ‘hit-list’
George (Louca) Smith
The cell mate
Country of origin: Cyprus
Smith is on the run after an alleged phone call to the police confessing to the murder of strip-club boss Lolly Jackson in May 2010. A former Special Forces soldier and Jackson’s “enforcer” in debt collecting ventures, Smith is thought to have fled the country.
Links to Krejcir
- He met Krejcir while he was in detention at a Kempton Park police cell after his arrival in South Africa in 2007. They spent a month together in the jail
- He introduced Krejcir to the South African underworld. Louca was an employee of Krejcir
- A few days after Jackson’s death Krejcir is reported to have told the Sunday Times that Smith told Krejcir that he had shot Jackson
Paul O’Sullivan
The forensic investigator
Country of origin: Ireland
This is the same investigator who blew the whistle and brought down former police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi. The former head of security at the Johannesburg International Airport sent affidavits on his investigations into the money-laundering scheme between Krejcir and Jackson to top cop Joey Mabasa, which he believes were leaked.
Links to Krejcir
- He compiled an 86 page dossier on Krejcir and his underworld dealings, including interviews and the affidavit of Dr Marian Tupy — the doctor who faked Krejcir’s terminal cancer. He tirelessly pushed the Hawks and prosecuting authority to act against Krejcir
- He was part of the March 22 2011 raid on Krejcir’s house
- Features on the alleged “hit-list” found in Krejcir’s house
Lolly Jackson
The strip-club boss
Country of origin: Democratic Republic of Congo
Jackson was gunned down in a house in Johannesburg in May 2010 shortly after he was approached to give evidence against Krejcir in a money-laundering investigation. Jackson was due to be arrested under the same investigation four days before his death.
Links to Krejcir
- Came to know Krejcir through a shared passion for cars at a Ferrari Day event. It was a friendship of benefits as Krejcir’s lifestyle cost money he didn’t always have and Jackson need to get cash out of the country illegally
- The pair were allegedly involved in a R9-million money-laundering scheme
- Eight days after Jackson gave Krejcir R2-million, he was shot dead
Joey Mabasa
Crime intelligence top cop
Country of origin: South Africa
Former Gauteng commissioner for crime intelligence and now deputy head of SAPS Crime Intelligence, Mabasa is now being investigated for possibly having tipped Krejcir off about investigations.
Three links to Krejcir
- His wife Dorcas is listed as a director in a company, Radlochron, with Krejcir’s wife Katerina
- He is being sued by a former associate of Krejcir’s for intimidation and wrongful arrest. The associate claims Mabasa was at meetings between him and Krejcir and Mabasa was handed bags of money
- He is the officer who claimed to have received a telephonic confession from Smith after Jackson’s murder
Timeline
March 2005: Police in Prague swoop on Radovan Krejcir’s palatial villa. He abandons the multimillion-euro house, claiming a “political conspiracy” against his family. He seeks refuge in the Seychelles.
2007: Krejcir travels by yacht to Madagascar, from the Seychelles, where he boards a flight to South Africa.
April 21 2007: Krejcir arrives at OR Tambo International Airport under the name Egbert Jules Savy. He is arrested on an Interpol notice despite having a false passport, but is granted bail of R1-million.
September 2007: Krejcir lodges an application for refugee status, claiming he is being persecuted in his home country. The application is turned down a year later (2008), though Krejcir launches other court actions to be granted political asylum.
May 3 2010: Strip-club boss Lolly Jackson is killed at a house in Johannesburg. His “shooter” George (Louca) Smith meets up with Krejcir directly afterwards and tells him that he has just killed Jackson.
March 16 2011: Urologist Dr Marian Tupy pleads guilty to charges of fraud. Tupy admits to falsifying medical records to show Krejcir suffers from cancer. He receives a suspended sentence for turning state witness against Krejcir. Krejcir was paid out more than R4-million on a life policy with Liberty Life as a result. An arrest warrant for Krejcir is obtained.
March 21 2011: Cyril Beeka is assassinated in Cape Town. Beeka had links with both intelligence circles and the underworld and he was once a close friend of Krejcir before a fight soured their relationship.
March 22 2011: Krejcir’s home is raided by the Hawks where they allegedly find a “hit-list”. Police also say he is a prime suspect in the Jackson matter.
March 24 2011: After three days of evading police capture, Krejcir finally hands himself over.
March 28 2011: Krejcir appears in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on charges of fraud. The case is postponed to April 7 for a formal bail application. Krejcir is held in Leeuwkop prison.
March 29 2011: Krejcir is moved from Leeuwkop prison to Boksburg prison. Piet du Plessis, Krejcir’s lawyer says the reason for the move was because Leeuwkop was only for convicted and sentenced prisoners. Forensic Investigator Paul O’ Sullivan is alleged to have threatened Krejcir’s legal counsel. Du Plessis claimed that O’Sullivan threatened his life and that of his family in an email. Du Plessis said the threat was not aimed only at his firm, BDK Attorneys, but at other lawyers who had represented Krejcir in the past.
March 30 2011: Du Plessis obtained an interdict against O’Sullivan to stop him from allegedly threatening him and his family with assault.
April 2 2011: Beeka’s funeral takes place in Cape Town. On the same day, O’Sullivan is alleged to be threatening two top police officials — Brigadier Sally de Beer and Colonel Vish Naidoo. Meanwhile Krejcir’s lawyers are suing Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa and police National Commissioner General Bheki Cele for more than R2-million in damages after a raid at his Bedfordview home on March 22.
April 7 2011: Krejcir is back at the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on a bail application. State prosecutor Riegal Du Toit asks the court to deny the application on the basis that Krejcir knows several of the state witnesses as well as where they live, and could possibly attempt to influence or threaten them. Du Toit read from an affidavit by investigating Officer Dumisani Patrick Mbotho who claims that Krejcir flew in three Serbian assassins to the country on March 18 and 19 to kill some of the four people named on the “hit-list”.
April 8 2011: Krejcir is granted R500 000 bail.