Alleged underworld kingpin Nafiz Modack and his mother have been busted on charges of corruption after going to the Hawks offices in Bellville to “enquire about a case against him”.
The two appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, following their arrests by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation’s Serious Corruption Investigation Unit.
Modack, 37, and his 60-year-old mother, Ruwaida, were each released on
R5 000 bail, while the Hawks said a third suspect a former high-ranking cop faces imminent arrest.
It is alleged Modack paid former SAPS Brigadier Kolin Govender a sum of money into his Absa account in return for “favours”.
Following their arrest in 2012, Govender was on trial in the Western Cape High Court alongside former Western Cape police commissioner Arno Lamoer, businessman Saleem Dawjee former police brigadier Darius van der Ross and his wife, Brigadier Sharon Govender, charged with corruption racketeering and money laundering involving
R1.6 million.
In May 2018, Judge Rosheni Allie sentenced Lamoer and Dawjee to six years in prison, Van Der Ross to two years and Kolin to four years.
Sharon was acquitted.
Dawjee admitted to giving Lamoer about R54 000 in cash from 2011 to 2013 when he ran into financial difficulties.
Kolin received R24 601 from Dawjee, who is his
cousin, in exchange for
“special treatment”.
On Wednesday, provincial Hawks spokesman, Captain Philani Nkwalase, said Modack and his taanie had been under investigation since 2011 for his alleged corrupt relationship with a top cop.
“It is alleged that in November 2011, the duo paid gratifications through their two business entities to the senior police officer for favours to advance their private personal business interests,” Nkwalase said.
Speaking to the Daily Voice on Wednesday, Modack admitted he paid Govender, but declined to give details for fear it might jeopardise his case.
“In 2011, I, Nafiz Modack, transferred money to his account. My mother never had anything to do with anything. She doesn’t even know who Govender is,” he said.
“I asked a cop why they’re charging her. They said she’s a signatory on the (bank) account, which is absolute bulls***.”
“I got evidence from Absa showing it’s false information, (but) we will handle this in court.”
He also accused the Hawks of trumping up charges.
“If their case was strong, they would have brought it up eight years ago. They have nothing else to charge me with, so now they’re looking for something else.
“People pay people in different positions just to keep me going to court and to pay lawyers. That’s fine, I’ve got 50 lawyers.”
The pair is due back in court on 16 May.
Modack is currently on trial along with Colin Booysen, Ashley Fields and Jacques Cronjé, facing charges of money laundering and extortion linked to a violent takeover of the Cape Town nightclub security industry.
robin.francke@inl.co.za