Krejcir and co-accused to appeal convictions, sentences

Convicted drug dealer, Radovan Krejcir, and his five co-accused were on Wednesday expected back in the High Court in Johannesburg where they would appeal their convictions and sentences.

Krejcir and Sandton businessman, Desai Lupondo, were sentenced to an effective 35 years in prison for the intent to deal drugs, kidnapping as well as attempted murder.

This was related to Krejcir's allegedly ordering the kidnap and torture of Bheki Lukhele, whose brother, Doctor, had apparently disappeared with 25kg of tik.

During the trial, it was revealed that Lukhele had had boiling water poured over his head and was asked by Krejcir whether he wanted to "die like a soldier".

The court heard that Krejcir had received the drugs from Lupondo. He allegedly made an agreement with Doctor to export the drugs to Australia. Doctor worked at a cargo company at OR Tambo International Airport.

The drugs were never found, leaving the State unable to analyse their content.

Krejcir the 'mastermind'

Delivering the sentence, Judge Colin Lamont identified Krejcir as the "mastermind" in the entire matter. "The evidence established that he was the mastermind, commonly referred to as 'The Boss'," he said.

Taxi owner Siboniso Miya was sentenced to 15 years in jail. He had been handed a 15 year sentence for attempted murder and another 15 for kidnapping, but unlike Krejcir and Lupondo, he was only found guilty of attempted drug dealing, which got him a 12-year sentence.

Lamont ordered that the sentences run concurrently, which would see him in jail for a total of 15 years.

Hawks officers Samuel Modise Maropeng, Jan Lefu Mofokeng and George Jeff Nthoroane were sentenced to an effective 15 years in jail.

Maropeng and Mofokeng were convicted of kidnapping and attempted murder, and were sentenced to 15 years each. However, the sentences would run concurrently, which meant the two would serve a maximum period of 15 years in jail.

Nthoarane was found guilty of kidnapping and common assault, with a 15-year and one-year sentence respectively. Lamont sentenced him to an effective 15 years in jail.

Lamont said the officers had betrayed the trust society had entrusted in them. "They are employed by society and provided with tools to combat crime. They abused the trust society placed in them."

Since none of the men had admitted to any of the crimes, Lamont said it would be difficult to foresee the possibility of rehabilitation. All six men were also deemed unfit to possess a firearm.

News24