S.Africa postpones Czech fugitive case to September

...to September because of a dispute over who should chair it.

Radovan Krejcir, 38, was arrested in April at Johannesburg airport after the Czech police asked for his extradition on charges of murder, fraud, illegal arms possession and tax evasion.

On Wednesday, instead of starting the extradition hearing, judge Steven Holzen and the state prosecutor discussed whether Holzen could chair the hearing.

The state prosecutor asked Holzen to step down, arguing he might be biased because he had said during the bail ruling that evidence against Krejcir was insufficient.

"Because you have insight to all the documents and evidence and had remarked that the state does not have a strong case, we make a submission that the the judge recuse himself from the extradition hearing," the prosecutor said.

But Holzen rejected the request, saying the bail hearing and the extradition inquiry where different, and he will chair the new hearing on Sept. 13.

[JOHANNESBURG/Reuters/Finance.cz]