The second State witness in a high-profile extortion case explained how he went into “movie-like negotiations” with two alleged underworld kingpins to save an event.
The restaurant company boss was testifying in the case against controversial businessmen Nafiz Modack, Colin Booysen and their cohorts Ashley Fields and Jacques Cronje in the Cape Town Regional Court on Wednesday.
The four are on trial for money laundering and extortion, linked to a violent takeover of the nightclub security industry in the Cape.
The fifth accused in the matter, Carl Lakay, was murdered in August in the driveway of his Goodwood home.
The group was arrested in December 2017 for allegedly trying to extort R369 000 from The Grand Africa Cafe and Beach near the V&A Waterfront.
That amount was later reduced to R90 000.
On trial for extortion, Nafiz Modack. File image
State witness Stuart Bailey is the former chief operations officer for the Harbour House Group which owned 70% of The Grand Africa Cafe and Beach.
“I had monthly and weekly meetings with The Grand’s brand manager, Radley Dijkers, regarding operations,” he testified.
“In April 2017, Dijkers contacted me saying security was being taken over by The Security Group (TSG).
“A convoy of cars rocked up and there was an armed presence.
“Lakay would be the site manager, the guards would remain the same. We would just be paying TSG and Lakay was our contact person.”
Dijkers previously admitted to perjury on the stand and that he had no objection to implicating himself in his testimony.
An event at Grand Africa Cafe and Beach was saved after tough negotiations. File image
Bailey said on 4 November 2017, the day The Grand was having their opening summer party, he received a call from the CEO of Harbour House.
“I called Dijkers and he said there’d been a demand from TSG for R300 000 to be paid by 3pm for the event to go forth,” he testified.
“I contacted the CEO, I was given a mandate and a number (price) to negotiate as the event had to go forth, but safety first.”
He went to the restaurant to wait for Booysen, by which time the amount had changed to R150 000.
Bailey said he never met the accused and only knew their names and faces from media reports.
“We had the meeting in the manager’s office. Booysen started the conversation saying: ‘When I turn up it’s cos you disrespected my people and I am here to sort out this situation.’
“Booysen wasn’t happy with the monthly fees TSG received, or the events hosted.
“They requested an extra security guards’ fee of
R150 000 for our event.
“I said it’s not in our budget. The Grand could not afford it,” he testified.
“I had a mandate of between R50 000 to R100 000 to negotiate with. I also had to negotiate for future events.
“They were adamant about R150 000. I made a counter offer of R50 000.
“We were paying TSG R70 000 monthly already. I received another counter of R110 000 and I matched it with R70 000.
“Booysen said ‘let’s meet halfway at R90 000’. Then we needed to add R30 000 to their monthly fee [of R70 000] and the event fee going forward would cost R50 000.
“In my mind I called it taxation, the amount we paid wasn’t equal to the service provided,” Bailey testified.
Colin Booysen wasn’t happy with the monthly fees TSG received, Stuart Bailey told the could. File image
He says they paid the R90 000 that night to avoid trouble.
“I told Dijkers the area needed cameras and they must sign a receipt once the cash was received,” Bailey testified.
He says when Captain Sharon Japhta of the Anti-Gang Unit contacted him, he felt compelled to open a case. “I opened a case because I didn’t want to be an accomplice to a crime. The negotiations that took place were not normal.”
The matter continues.
robin.francke@inl.co.za