Czech fugitive Krejčíř wins court ruling on laptop access in prison
Radovan Krejčíř turned to court as prison officials will not allow him to charge his laptop himself overnight via an extension cord as he does not have a plug point in his cell.
Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers
Czech fugitive and crime boss Radovan Krejčíř is embroiled in a legal dispute over his laptop access in prison.
The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg previously granted him permission to use the device for study purposes. However, Krejčíř is unable to charge his laptop overnight due to the absence of a plug point in his cell.
Krejčíř told the Court, that correctional services are refusing to allow him to charge the laptop using an extension cord connected to an external power source. Although the department has offered to charge the laptop overnight and return it the following morning, Krejčíř has rejected this arrangement.
He explained that he had signed an indemnity agreement with the department that he will not hold it responsible if anything happened to his laptop.
He was earlier given the green light to pursue his computer-related studies and have a laptop in his single cell at the Kgosi Mampuru C-Max Correctional Centre. This allowed Krejčíř to pursue his computer-related studies at private education provider, Oxbridge Academy.
He has been allowed to use his laptop since August, but he cannot fully use it due to the charging issue. Krejčíř earlier this month again returned to court on an urgent basis to hold the head of the prison in contempt of court.
Judge Molebong Mdalana-Mayisela on that occasion held the prison head in civil contempt of a previous order, in which another judge ordered that Krejčíř’s laptop must be fully functional and that all software as required by him must be uploaded on the device.
She issued a 90-day suspended sentence against the official, provided that the department must see to it that Krejčíř’s laptop is fully functional. Judge Molebong Mdalana-Mayisela did not give reasons for her findings earlier this month, but as the department indicated that it wanted to appeal her ruling, she now issued her reasons.
Krejčíř, in his contempt application, also complained that the prison head refused him and his IT specialist internet access. As a result, his laptop is not fully functional for his studies because he is unable to download programs for his registered study course.
Correctional Services, meanwhile, said it would not be possible for Krejčíř to charge his laptop in his cell using an extension cord because it would make it impossible to close the prison security doors.
Judge Mdalana-Mayisela, in finding the prison head in contempt, said the earlier order stated that Krejčíř must have a fully functional laptop, which he does not have at present. She was also unhappy with the department’s stance that it will not grant him internet access, despite the earlier order. Correctional Services indicated that it will apply to have the order regarding internet access overturned.
Judge Mdalana-Mayisela pointed out that the order was granted following an agreement between the parties. She, meanwhile, concluded that by not allowing Krejčíř to charge his laptop while in his control for his studies, the prison head has disregarded the earlier order and he is thus in contempt of court.
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