The defence of Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir and his five co-accused cross-examined two state witnesses, Mr Bheki Lukhele and Mr Paul Mthabela.
The two took to the stand in the second and third week of the trial.
During the second week of the trial, Mr Lukhele, who alleges he was kidnapped and assaulted by Krejcir and five others, told the court about his injuries and distrust of the police due to the assault.
According to Mr Lukhele, he was kidnapped and tortured to try and make him reveal his brother’s whereabouts.
Krejcir’s lawyer, Ms Annelene van der Heever, sought to discredit Mr Lukhele’s testimony after his failure to lay charges with the police following his alleged abduction.
Ms van den Heever also pointed out differences between the witness’s statement to the police and his evidence-in-chief in court.
Mr Mthabela was allegedly connected to Mr Vusi Msimango, who was the first state witness to testify in the trial. Mthabela testified that he received a call from Mr Desai Luphondo in June last year.
Mr Mthabela revealed that that he and Doctor, one of Krejcir’s associates, took the drugs as well as a payment to transport the drugs, which allegedly belonged to Krejcir.
Mr Mathabela informed the court that when the drugs were unsuccessfully transported by Doctor, he was phoned by Mr Luphondo to help search for him. When they could not find Doctor, Mr Msimango revealed to him the plan of kidnapping Mr Lukhele.
Mr Msimango then took him to a house where Mr Lukhele was being kept captive under the watch of Mr Luphondo.
During the third week, the trial was postponed on Monday, May 26 and Tuesday, May 27, because Krejcir’s lawyer, Ms van der Heever, was ill.
The trial commenced on Wednesday, May 28 and Thursday, May 29, with state witness Mr Mthabela continuing his testimony.
On Wednesday, Mr Mthabela recalled a conversation with the man allegedly kidnapped by the accused. Mr Lukhele told him his captors wanted him to reveal the whereabouts of his brother, Doctor.
According to Mr Mthabela, he revealed to him that he was blindfolded, bound, beaten and had boiling water poured over his head, allegedly by Krejcir.
On Thursday, Ms van den Heever questioned Mr Mthabela’s testimony. Ms van den Heever questioned whether he was excluding himself from their illegal dealings.
Krejcir and his five associates, Desai Luphondo, former Hawks East Rand Organised Crime Unit officers Samuel Maropeng, George Nthoroane, Jan Mofokeng and Siboniso Miya, are alleged to have kidnapped, beaten and attempted to murder Mr Lukhele.
Mr Lukhele is the brother of one of Krejcir’s associates known only as ‘Doctor’, whose whereabouts have been unknown since June last year following an alleged drug deal involving 25 kilograms of methamphetamine that went missing.
The trial is due to continue and all six suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
The proceedings on the Friday, May 30, were unknown at the time of going to print. @BedfordJourno
