By Palesa Matlala
- Radovan Krejčíř refused to continue with court proceedings after claiming prison officials gave him expired bread despite his medically prescribed diet.
- Correctional Services rejected the claims, saying Krejčíř received the same standard prison meal he had been served during previous court appearances.
Convicted Czech crime boss Radovan Krejčíř brought court proceedings to a halt after refusing to testify, claiming prison officials served him expired bread and ignored his medical diet.
Krejčíř appeared in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday with his co accused as part of a long running legal battle over delays in his criminal cases.
The hearing was meant to deal with a Section 342A application asking the court to investigate what Krejčíř says are unreasonable delays in prosecuting the remaining charges against him.
He also claims his constitutional rights have been violated because he has not received proper medical care while in prison.
But before the case could continue, Krejčíř complained about the food he received before being taken to court.
“I am kept in the correctional facility, and correctional facilities are supposed to provide me with food that complies with the therapeutic diet manual,” he told the court.
“Instead, I received a parcel containing five dry slices of bread and some juice.”
Krejčíř said the bread had expired on 2 July and told the court he suffers from a wheat allergy.
“I also want this honourable court to be aware that I am allergic to wheat,” he said.
Officials from the Department of Correctional Services rejected his version.
They told the court Krejčíř had been served the normal prison breakfast before leaving for court, the same meal he had received during an earlier appearance.
Krejčíř admitted he had received the meal but said that during his previous court appearance he avoided eating it because he had brought his own food.
The hearing had already been delayed earlier in the day after reports that Krejčíř refused to leave his prison cell.
He was later brought to court and proceedings continued.
His lawyer, Nastasja Otrebski, argued that her client has repeatedly been treated unfairly by the state and said that after exhausting other legal options they decided to bring the Section 342A application.
The matter was postponed until 14 July.
Krejčíř is serving a 35 year prison sentence at the C Max section of Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria.
He was convicted of attempted murder, kidnapping and drug dealing after ordering the kidnapping and torture of a man during a dispute over 25 kilograms of crystal meth in 2013.
He still faces other serious criminal charges, including murder.
The Czech businessman fled to South Africa in 2007 and has long been regarded by investigators as one of the country’s most notorious organised crime figures.
Over the years, he has repeatedly made headlines for dramatic courtroom appearances, alleged escape plots and complaints about prison conditions.
During a 2015 prison raid, officials said they found weapons, 10 cellphones and documents that allegedly included the names of witnesses and investigators, as well as a sketch of the prison that investigators believed formed part of an escape plan.
Krejčíř has consistently denied involvement in organised crime and has maintained that he would face serious danger if returned to the Czech Republic, where he is also a convicted fugitive.
Image caption
Convicted Czech crime boss Radovan Krejčíř appeared in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court before refusing to testify over claims about expired prison food. Picture: File
