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A LEADER of the Sexy Boys gang is a suspect in the killing of underworld figure Cyril Beeka, who was being investigated for murder, drug trafficking and illegal diamonds at the time of his death.
Links between a number of prominent city businessmen and an organised criminal network, operating within Cape Town and internationally, were also laid bare in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday when Serbian fugitive Dobrosav Gavric appeared for a bail application regarding his possible extradition.
Gavric, 38, is wanted in Serbia, where he faces a 35-year jail sentence for murdering two people and assasinating Serbia’s most feared warlord, Zeljko Raznatovic, better known as Arkan, 12 years ago.
He appeared in court on Tuesday under heavy security, with members of the police’s Tactical Response team stationed around the courtroom.
Gavric had been driving underworld figure Cyril Beeka when Beeka was murdered in a shooting in Bellville South on March 21 last year.
Up until Tuesday, no official details or information about suspects into Beeka’s murder have been revealed.
The investigating officer in the case, Paul Hendrikse, testified that, before the shooting, Beeka and Gavric had visited Jerome “Donkie” Booysen at his Belhar home.
“I can confirm (Booysen’s) a gangster, a leader of the Sexy Boys,” Hendrikse said.
Under cross-examination, he said Booysen was a suspect in Beeka’s murder, which had been motivated by organised crime.
“I do have evidence and statements under oath to back me up,” Hendrikse said.
Earlier, he testified that there were only two ways to get to and from Booysen’s home.
Hendrikse said that, after the meeting with Booysen, Gavric had driven Beeka down Modderdam Road and at a set of traffic lights, just before the University of the Western Cape, had stopped as the lights were red.
He said a motorbike with two occupants stopped next to the car and 17 shots were fired at the car.
Beeka had been wounded in the chest, arms and head, while Gavric was wounded in the arms.
Hendrikse said that, despite his injuries, Gavric had sped after the motorbike and fired shots in its direction, but soon lost control of the vehicle.
“Not long thereafter, Booysen arrived ... It’s very suspicious because they’d just left his place and coincidentally he was the first person on the scene,” he said.
Hendrikse testified that Gavric had been planning to open a second-hand shop in Parow, had wanted to renovate the premises and had submitted these plans to the city council.
But there had been a hitch and Beeka had got in touch with Booysen, who had worked for the City of Cape Town for roughly two decades, to get someone to assist Gavric. This was why they had been visiting Booysen.
Hendrikse testified that, at the time of Beeka’s killing, the police’s organised crime unit in Gauteng was investigating Beeka for murder, drug trafficking and illegal diamonds. He said that, about a week before the murder, Beeka and Gavric had attended a rugby match at Newlands.
Hendrikse said they had occupied a private box owned by businessman Mark Lifman. “Mark Lifman is also being investigated by organised crime.” Hendrikse testified that Lifman was also linked with Booysen.
He said Beeka had also been friends with Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir, who faced a fraud charge in Johannesburg as well as possible extradition.
He likened Beeka’s murder to that of Yuri “The Russian” Ulianitski, who was gunned down in May 2007, and who had worked with Lifman and Beeka. During cross-examination by defence advocate Pete Mihalik, Hendrikse was asked to explain why Beeka had been in the company of Moe Shaik, head of South Africa’s secret service, or whether Beeka had worked for the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
“I’m prepared to say there are rumours that he was, but I don’t have any evidence,” Hendrikse said. He said the NIA denied Beeka worked for it.
Hendrikse said Gavric arrived in SA in 2007 under the alias Sasa Kovacevic and befriended Beeka a year later.
In a section of an affidavit by Gavric read out by Hendrikse it said: “I heard he was connected to the police and if ever there was a threat to me, my family would be warned.”
After being convicted of Arkan’s killing, Hendrikse said Gavric travelled to Bosnia where he picked up the passport bearing the name Sasa Kovacevic. Before arriving in SA in 2007, he travelled to Ecuador, Peru and Cuba.
Gavric handed himself over to the Hawks on December 27 after his identity was confirmed and Serbian authorities requested his extradition. - Cape Times
E-mail Caryn: caryn.dolley@inl.co.za