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Krejcir lawyer says extradition bid letter was doctored

Cape Town - A letter claiming to be Radovan Krejcir’s offer to turn State witness against top police officials was partially doctored, the lawyer who wrote it said on Thursday.

"I did send the letter," said lawyer Eric Bryer.

"90% of the content is correct, but there have been adjustments," he said, not wanting to divulge what was incorrect in the letter.

On Wednesday, it emerged that Bryer sent a letter on Krejcir’s behalf to the Director of Public Prosecutions in Gauteng, in which he purportedly made the offer in return for extradition to the Czech Republic.

"My instructions are that he is prepared to undergo extensive debriefing and to testify in respect thereof from his home country of Czech Republic where adequate security will be given," an extract of the letter read.

"My instructions are that my client will plead guilty to all charges if he is given a concurrent 10-year jail sentence in respect of each offence," Bryer wrote.

Krejcír has already been sentenced to 35 years for the kidnapping and torture of Bheki Lukhele, whose brother, Doctor, had allegedly disappeared with 25kg of tik, which he was trying to smuggle out of South Africa.

He had tried several jail breaks since his arrest. Since then, he has appeared in court in shackles and with a stun belt strapped around him.

He still faces trial on a charge of killing businessman Sam Issa.

Bryer said he had a signed mandate to negotiate on Krejcir’s behalf for extradition, but was not so sure if he was Krejcir's lawyer anymore.

He said that at a recent court appearance, there was a suggestion that Krejcir be sent for psychiatric observation. During this, Krejcir said he no longer had a lawyer. Bryer said he had not been informed that his services had been terminated.

According to a post on a Facebook account purporting to be run on Krejcir's behalf, he distanced himself from the offer to turn State witness.

According to the post, Krejcir had no input in drafting the letter and any names mentioned in it had nothing to do with him.

He would like to be extradited though, because he believed he would not get a fair trial in South Africa.

The National Prosecuting Authority’s Gauteng spokesperson, Phindi Louw, did not want to comment.

Forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan and two police officers were blamed in the post, supposedly made by Krejcir's family.

An irritated O'Sullivan said he did not have time to find out who posted the accusation, but that he had nothing to do with Bryer drawing up the letter to the NPA.

 

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