Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Krejcir fearful of dying in prison
CZECH mobster Radovan Krejcir fears he will die in prison, as his mental and physical health continues to deteriorate behind bars.
This is what his lawyer, Nastasja Otrebski claims, following a visit to her client at the maximum-security Leeuwkop Prison this week.
Otrebski claims that Krejcir is being denied medical treatment “because it is either denied or ignored” when he requests to see a doctor or to be taken to a hospital.
“If he is taken to hospital, which only happens when a court intervenes, he is barely looked at and does not know the outcome of his results.
“When he does get to see a medical practitioner, his consultations are not in private. It’s extremely embarrassing for him.
“He is purposely celled next to a boiler which releases a lot of black smoke into his cell, and that has caused respiratory problems.”
The 52-year-old was convicted of attempted murder, kidnapping and dealing in drugs in 2015 and sentenced to 35 years in jail. He has spent the last few years at Leeuwkop.
Otrebski claims Krejcir’s conditions at the prison are “inhumane”, adding that nine different court orders have been ignored by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS).
“He is not allowed access to his legal representatives, which results in them withdrawing due to lack of instructions.
“He is constantly in solitary confinement, which is contrary to various court orders and medical reports, as well as the law. He is not able to socialise with anyone ...
“He is left in a tiny cell in which he does not even have access to a basin or to drinking water.
“His light in his cell is on 24/7. He does not have access to a good night’s sleep. Officials laugh at him when he asks for the lights to be switched off.
“He has no form of privacy because he has a mirror on the ceiling to watch his every move. He cannot go to the toilet without being laughed at. There is no natural light, nor proper ventilation.
“He also does not have access to reading material like other inmates, including the Criminal Procedure Act, the Correctional Service Act, case law, books or even my legal documents because it is then removed.”
“When he is taken to court, he cannot speak to anyone and he is chained like an abused dog. All he is asking for is to be treated with some form of dignity.
“He has no family here to come and see him, or check up on him.”
Otrebski says she has discussed her client’s “inhumane conditions” with DCS officials on several occasions; however, to date nothing has been done.
Meanwhile, the DCS has labelled the accusations “untrue and baseless”. Spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo rubbished claims that Krejcir has been denied time with his legal representatives, adding: “At no point has Radovan Krejcir been a subject of solitary confinement as we no longer have such cells in South Africa.
“Krejcir is using a cell that has been in use before in Leeuwkop and he has to be monitored, without stripping him of his privacy rights, in order to ensure that he is safe and protected.”
Nxumalo added that Krejcir was being treated like any other prisoner at Leeuwkop.