Czechs ask again South Africa to extradite fugitive businessman

Pretoria/Prague, April 24 (CTK) - The Czech Republic has sent another application for the extradition of fugitive businessman Radovan Krejcir to South Africa, the Internet server CT24 said Tuesday.

Czech ambassador to Pretoria Blanka Fajkusova has explained that the original application for Krejcir's extradition from 2007 included the justification for the cases of which he was acquitted in the meantime.

This specifically related to alleged fraud in connection with the company Corado, Fajkusova said.

"We have passed an updated and complemented, modified extradition application. We do not know yet when the trial will reopen. We have returned to the zero point," Fajkusova told the public broadcaster Czech Television (CT).

Krejcir, who is wanted for property and violent crimes in the Czech Republic, escaped from the Czech police during a home search in June 2005. Since April 2007 he has stayed in South Africa where he arrived using a fake passport.

In 2007, Prague asked Pretoria for his extradition.

However, a court in Johannesburg turned down the request one year later, but a higher instance court later annulled the decision in a ruling confirmed by the supreme court.

Now the South African judiciary is to deal again with the Czech application for Krejcir's extradition.

The South African police are also investigating several murder cases in which Krejcir's name figures.

Last Monday, a criminal complaint over an insurance fraud allegedly connected with Krejcair was temporarily withdrawn.

This Monday, the proceedings at which Krejcir was to be tried over an armed robbery in Pretoria last October was adjourned.