SOUTH AFRICA: Czech fugitive's court case postponed as state prepares documents for the case

A South African court on Thursday (September 13) postponed for a third time the extradition hearing of a fugitive Czech businessman wanted for murder, and relaxed the conditions of his bail. 38-year old Radovan Krejcir was arrested at O.R. Tambo International airport in Johannesburg in April on an Interpol "red notice," which allows for detention and possible extradition. He is wanted in the Czech republic on charges of murder, fraud, illegal arms possession and tax evasion. On Thursday the presiding magistrate postponed the case until September 27-28 at the request of the state, which said it had been unable to prepare necessary documents in time for the hearing. The magistrate also granted Krejcir's requests that his bail conditions be eased to allow him to travel outside of Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg, to attend to business. He will also only have to report to a police station once a week rather than twice a week as previously required. South African authorities opposed bail for Krejcir in an earlier hearing, telling the court that they viewed him as a flight risk and suspected he had entered South Africa illegally with a fake document issued under a false name. Prosecutors have also questioned Krejcir's financial ties to South Africa.

ITN Source | September 14, 2007

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