Beyond the bevy of armed guards and metal detectors, four men including Czech convict and former underworld boss Radovan Krejcir, are on trial for a 2013 hit on Lebanese drug dealer Sam Issa aka 'Black Sam' or 'Cripple Sam'. Issa was gunned down outside Bedford Centre early on a Saturday morning while driving his black Audi Q7.
There have been numerous postponements as a result of Krejcir's poor health, some due to various applications the accused brought and because of conflicts in lawyers' diaries. A fifth accused, Bulgarian Lyubomir 'Mike' Grigorov, has also turned State witness. Grigorov spent more than 30 days in the witness stand under cross-examination.
In his evidence-in-chief, Mokoena testified about how he was introduced to Krejcir by convicted drug dealer and businessman Glenn Agliotti. He explained how Krejcir requested Mokoena to rob Issa's house and then kill the Lebanese man after stealing his firearms and jewellery. Grigorov had also previously testified about how the robbery had taken place two weeks before Issa was gunned down.
"It was like a Friday afternoon, they were drinking vodka, I had a double espresso. I said goodbye to them and I left. It was so friendly like f****ng, kissing and cuddling. Very friendly, no hostility, nothing whatsoever. It was 4pm in the afternoon; they used to drink right through the night.
However, that could mean that this trial will drag on for several years still. Prosecutors are also waiting to finalise this trial before they get going on another case involving a plot to assassinate Paul O'Sullivan and ex-policeman Nkosana 'Killer' Ximba in 2014.
MandyWiener Justice system of South Africa need to treat all foreign criminals at they treat us in their justice.