Two alleged underworld kingpins returned to the “scene of the crime” to celebrate after they were acquitted at the Cape Town Regional Court yesterday.
Nafiz Modack, Colin Booysen, Ashley Fields, and Jacques Cronjé were charged with money laundering and extortion, linked to a violent takeover of the Cape Town nightclub security industry, and illegally rendering a security service.
Modack faced additional charges of the prohibited inception of communication and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
The fifth accused, Carl Lakay, was murdered in August last year in the driveway of his Goodwood home.
The group was nabbed in December 2017 for allegedly trying to extort R369 000 from The Grand Africa Café and Beach near the V&A Waterfront after they allegedly forced their security company TSG Securities on the business in April.
That amount was later reduced to R90 000.
Last month their defence counsels brought forth a Section 174 of the Criminal Procedures Act application before the court, asking all charges to be withdrawn due to a lack of evidence.
On Thursday, Magistrate Byron Pedro said he had reviewed all the evidence before him and found in favour of the accused.
“What baffles me is that since TSG took over security at The Grand in April until November ,there were no complaints, no one made a fuss, nothing transpired until 3 November,” Pedro stated.
TSG was still actively delivering security services for The Grand until July 2018.
Pedro said the alleged extortion sounded more like a negotiation.
“The meeting that was held sounds like a typical negotiation. Nothing more, nothing less.
“What baffles me is that no one ever bothered to call Grant Veroni. There was no inkling on the State’s list they were going to call him although he was the boss [of TSG],” Pedro said.
He then made his ruling: “The application 174 has been granted. All charges dismissed.”
After the judgement, a jubilant Modack and his crew returned to The Grand for a celebratory lunch.
VICTORIOUS: Colin Booysen and Bruce Hendricks
Speaking to the Daily Voice, Modack said “this win is for [slain lawyer] Pete Mihalik”.
He was relieved the charges were dropped but is now gearing up to sue the State for wrongful arrest.
“Myself and Colin are going to sue the State and The Grand for R50 million. We are also going to sue those cops. I have instructed my lawyer to start drafting the papers,” he said.
robin.francke@inl.co.za