No bail for Krejcir's 'deceitful' ex-lover

Radovan Krejcir’s ex-girlfriend and mom of his youngest child has been denied bail after being declared dishonest and a flight risk.

|||

Johannesburg - Radovan Krejcir’s ex-girlfriend and mother of his youngest child has been denied bail after being declared dishonest and a flight risk.

Former Playboy model Marissa Christopher was arrested last month while visiting Krejcir with their two-year-old daughter at Zonderwater prison in Cullinan, Tshwane.

The State alleges that Christopher was going to facilitate payments to prison officials and a group of rifle-wielding gunmen to storm the prison and allow Krejcir to escape.

However, while the plot was initially planned for March, an undercover police unit, where officers posed as the guns-for-hire, stopped the violent escape plan and arrested five suspects, including Christopher.

Last week, Christopher asked Kempton Park magistrate Terral Sebothoma for her freedom pending her criminal trial and denied all involvement in the alleged escape plot.

However, Sebothoma was on Thursday unsympathetic towards Christopher, saying there had been too many “coincidences” brought about by the 37-year-old’s testimony and bail application affidavits last week.

While Christopher testified that she had broken up with Krejcir three or four months ago, she had continued to visit the Czech until the day of her arrest.

Sebothoma said Christopher’s bail affidavit had barely mentioned her relationship with Krejcir yet she had detailed their lengthy relationship on the stand.

This attempt to disassociate from Krejcir was highly suspicious, the magistrate said.

She also noted that Christopher had been the one to sign off on picking up Krejcir’s gym equipment where investigators had found a gun inside a hidden compartment.

While Sebothoma accepted Christopher’s health problems and young child, the magistrate said such interests could not take preference over those of society, particularly if she were to continue to assist in Krejcir’s alleged escape attempts.

The fact that Christopher’s mother, Priya, had a good relationship with her grandchild meant that she could be a good alternative caregiver, Sebothoma said.

Since Christopher had acknowledged on the stand that she knew Krejcir was well connected and potentially dangerous, Sebothoma said there was a genuine risk that she could be smuggled out of the country if granted bail.

She chastised Christopher for not being transparent and candid with the court, trying to downplay her multiple passports and her relationship with the Czech fugitive.

After the 37-year-old was denied bail, she whispered “I love you” to her teary-eyed mother and cousin sitting in the court gallery before calmly walking down to the cells beneath the court.

Meanwhile, The Star has learnt that Krejcir has been transferred back to the maximum security prison at Kokstad pending his next half a dozen court cases.

@ShainGermaner

shain.germaner@inl.co.za

The Star