'Lies and hate' won in court: Krejcir

"The lies and the hate won over the truth and the love," he said before walking down the courtroom stairs back to the holding cells, along with his five co-accused.

This was the first conviction against Krejcir, who is on trial in four separate matters in South African courts. A calm Krejcir sat quietly in the dock with co-accused Desai Luphondo, Warrant Officers Samuel Modise Maropeng and George Jeff Nthoroane, Jan Lefu Mofokeng and Siboniso Miya on Monday. 

The group had been on trial on charges of dealing in drugs, attempted murder, and kidnapping, to which they all pleaded not guilty. He occasionally turned to talk to Luphondo, while the other four men listened as Judge Colin Lamont read his judgment.

Luphondo kept his head down for most of the ruling, bending over and staring at the ground, taking his jacket off and putting it on again, and drinking water. He was the only man convicted of dealing in drugs, while Krejcir and Miya were found guilty of the intent to deal in drugs.

The case involves the disappearance of 25kg of tik and the attempted murder of Bheki Lukhele, the brother of a man known only as Doctor, who worked at a cargo company at OR Tambo International Airport. According to previous testimony, Doctor disappeared with the tik that he was supposed to get to Australia.

Lamont found Krejcir, Luphondo, Maropeng, Mofokeng and Miya guilty of the attempted murder of Lukhele. George Jeff Nthoroane was found guilty of common assault. On kidnapping charges, Lamont found all six guilty.

During his judgment, Lamont criticised the manner in which the SA Police Service conducted its investigations into Krejcir as "improper and inadequate", which almost jeopardised the State's case.

(File photo: Gallo Images)