Radovan Krejčíř refuses to testify, claims prison fed him ‘expired bread and juice’

Convicted underworld Czech crime boss Radovan Krejčíř has refused to testify in his long-running matter, claiming authorities served him “expired dry bread and juice” in prison.

Krejčíř and his co-accused appeared in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday after bringing a Section 342A application seeking an official inquiry into unreasonable delays in the prosecution of his criminal cases.

The application also alleged a violation of his human rights due to restricted access to medical amenities.

Sentence

Krejčíř is serving a 35-year prison sentence at the C-Max section of the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria for crimes including attempted murder, kidnapping and drug dealing.

The case was postponed to 14 July 2026.

Proceedings were initially delayed in the morning after allegations that Krejčíř refused to leave his cell, though he was eventually forced to do so.

Expired food

Later, as the matter was about to proceed, Krejčíř informed the court that officials from the Department of Correctional Services had given him expired bread and juice, despite his wheat allergy and medically prescribed dietary requirements.

“I am kept in the correctional facility, and correctional facilities are supposed to provide me with food that complies with the therapeutic diet manual. Instead, I received a parcel containing five dry slices of bread and some juice.

“When I checked the date on the bread, it had expired on 2 July. I also want this honourable court to be aware that I am allergic to wheat,” Krejčíř argued.

Prison meal

However, Correctional Services countered Krejčíř’s claims, insisting he had been served a standard prison meal before his court appearance – the same food he received at his last hearing.

While Krejčíř conceded that point, he argued that on the previous occasion he had avoided the meal by bringing his own provisions.

Earlier, Krejčíř’s attorney, Nastasja Otrebski, argued he is being treated unfairly in many respects by the state and, after exhausting all avenues, launched the Section 342A application

Jail conditions

In 2024, Krejčíř complained about his jail conditions, following a claim that a firearm was found in his high-security prison cell.

Once the solitary neighbour of disgraced Paralympian and murderer Oscar Pistorius in Kgosi Mampuru Prison’s isolation wing, it was not the first time Krejčíř faced allegations of hiding illicit goods in his cell.

In a 2015 prison raid, officials found, apart from numerous weapons and 10 cellphones, a diary which contained the names of witnesses and investigators in his cases and a sketch showing a detailed map of the prison building, pointing to his planned escape during a court appearance.