Krejcir in police custody

2011-03-25 06:42

Johannesburg - Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir handed himself over to the Hawks in Johannesburg during the early hours of Friday morning.

"Krejcir's days on the run are over...[He] handed himself over to the Hawks in Johannesburg in the early hours of this morning, and was immediately detained," spokesperson McIntosh Polela said.

"...Krejcir played a cat and mouse game with law enforcement agencies. He made several appointments promising to hand himself over but repeatedly failed to do so.

"Perhaps faced with no options and feeling the pressure applied by the Hawks through several franks including the media, he eventually handed himself over to head of the Hawks in Gauteng, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya through his lawyer."

Krejcir's current whereabouts would not be revealed to the public, for his own safety, Polela said.

"The Hawks shall not reveal where Mr Krejcir is being kept, [and] the issue of his court appearance will come about as the day progresses. He will be charged with fraud."

Hit list

Polela said Krejcir, 42, was also being questioned on the death of underworld boss Cyril Beeka, who was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Cape Town earlier this week.

A hit list was found during a raid at Krejcir's house in Bedforview on Tuesday night.

It included the names of Beeka, security consultant Paul O'Sullivan and a state prosecutor.

"The suspect had drawn up a hit list of four individuals."

Beeka was allegedly at the top of the list.

Krejcir was not at home during the raid.

His fraud charges relate to the R4.5 million claim he allegedly made to an insurance company, after managing to obtain medical papers saying he had cancer.

Since the raid, the Hawks urged Krejcir to hand himself over, adding that it was in best interest to do so, Polela said.

The SA Revenue Service (Sars) confiscated a Lamborghini and Ferrari belonging to Krejcir on Wednesday afternoon.

It is part of the efforts by the state and law enforcement agencies involved in this case to secure assets and prevent assets from being dissipated while investigations continue," SARS spokesperson Adrian Lackay said.

The SA Police Services, led by National Commissioner General Bheki Cele extended thanks to members of the public who phoned and offered assistance regarding Krejcir's possible whereabouts.

"We also extend a warm thank you to those who cheered us on through Facebook, and even those who used newspaper websites to criticise us for perceived mistakes in the search for Mr Krejcir."

- SAPA