From Eastern Europe with attitude -- and smart lawyers
How did the infamous Radovan Krejcir end up the most targeted and talked-about mafioso character in South Africa?
1. Birds of a feather . . . Radovan Krejcir fled the Czech Republic and arrived in South Africa in 2007 under a false name. He was picked up on an Interpol notice and put in the Kempton Park police cells, where he met George Louka. Louka introduced him to the likes of murdered Teazers strip club boss Lolly Jackson and other “heavies”, including Cyril Beeka and Glenn Agliotti. Krejcir later said in an interview: “People find me because they believe I have got money — that I am an opportunity for them. So people are coming like a bee to honey.” 2. Find a hangout . . .
Krejcir settled on Bedfordview, where his good friend Jackson lived on the same street locals dubbed “Millionaires’ Drive”. When he was not enjoying the views from his mansion on top of the hill, Krejcir spent hours at the Harbour Restaurant down the road, where he installed bulletproof glass at his own expense. This is where most of his business meetings took place — and where Louka came to tell everyone he had just killed Jackson. 3. Hire the best lawyers in town . . .
Krejcir was in trouble with the law from the get-go. And he knew that he needed hotshot lawyers to keep the authorities at bay. So he hired BDK Attorneys, jokingly known in legal circles as Die Liegfabriek (The Lie Factory) for its history of representing unsavoury characters.
The firm has done its job, getting some criminal charges against him thrown out of court. 4. Then, if anyone accuses you, deny and deny . . .
The list of dead people Krejcir once claimed as friends grows each year.
Jackson, Beeka and druglord Sam Issa are just some of the people who once enjoyed his company. Despite having been publicly named as a suspect in several murder investigations, Krejcir has never been arrested for any of them.
Not even a bizarre “hit list” the police claimed they found at his house was enough to put him away. He has also learnt the art of classic responses to media inquiries, like: “When someone slips on a banana peel and dies, they say it’s me.” 5. If you’ve got it, flaunt it . . .
Krejcir likes the best that money can buy. The owner of supercars such as Ferraris and Porsches, he is also an ace motorbike rider.
“This guy knows how to handle a superbike,” a wideeyed spectator once told the Sunday Times after seeing Krejcir in action at Kyalami. His house, which has a glass elevator and infinity pool, is further evidence of his wealth. He has a bulletproof car, which helped him to escape a bizarre attack in which someone fitted remote-controlled guns to another vehicle in an attempt to shoot him. 6. Make sure the cops are looked after . . .
Rumours abound about the influence Krejcir has in the police. Former Gauteng crime intelligence boss Joey Mabasa has links to the Czech — his wife co-owns a company with Krejcir’s wife. Investigator Paul O’Sullivan has said that rotten crime intelligence cops would play Krejcir recordings of detectives discussing cases against him. Just how far his influence in the police stretches is an open question. — Werner Swart