Krejcir cases postponed
HEAVILY ARMED POLICE OFFICERS IN KEMPTON PARK COURTROOM Czech fugitive faces attempted escape and extradition charges when court resumes.
Both the attempted escape and extradition cases against Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir were postponed yesterday at the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court.
During proceedings, state prosecutor Lawrence Gcaba said all the parties had been afforded the opportunity to access documents provided by the state and that he was ready to set a trial date.
There was tight security in the courtroom, with a number of heavily armed police officers.
Krejcir was holding a Sudoku puzzle book, his ankles were chained and he had a prison “stun belt” around his waist.
One of the defence lawyers for Krejcir’s co-accused said there was footage that he had not yet seen, which was why a trial date should not be set.
Advocate Frank Cohen, acting for Krejcir, told the court Krejcir was moved to a correctional facility in the Eastern Cape without anyone’s knowledge and he hadn’t seen the documents that were handed in to the court.
Zehir Omar, defence lawyer for Melissa Christopher, who has a child with Krejcir, told the court she had no involvement in his alleged plot to escape prison. He made an application for her bail conditions to be amended.
These included the condition that she was not allowed to communicate with Krejcir.
“That prohibits him from talking to the mother of his child. I want the court to allow Melissa to talk to Radovan about the child and the trial with the presence of a guard and myself,” said Omar.
Gcaba said the court needed to study the documentation and understand why such conditions were imposed before it made a decision.
State prosecuter Johan du Toit said that previously, a document was handed to Cohen to sign so that the state could proceed with dealing with the extradition matter.
A document was signed by Du Toit which dealt with the extradition application. The document was confidential and needed to be reviewed by Krejcir in order for him to be prepared when his lawyer consulted him.
Both matters were postponed to April 21. – ANA