Two days before Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) detective Lieutenant-Colonel Charl Kinnear was gunned down at his Bishop Lavis home, his commander was notified of the imminent threat on his life, but claimed he had protection.
The shocking testimony by Warrant Officer Wynand Olivier, who is based at the Hawks Crimes Against the State Unit in Gauteng, lifted the lid on what actions were taken by police after they were informed that Kinnear was being tracked by Zane Killian.
Killian is on trial alongside alleged underworld kingpin Nafiz Modack for the murder of Kinnear.
According to the State’s case, Modack paid Killian to track Kinnear and his colleagues in the months leading up to his murder.
Earlier this year, Bradley Goldblatt of 1Track Solutions took the stand and testified that he became aware of Killian’s excessive pinging on Kinnear and immediately notified Olivier.
This was confirmed by Olivier, who told the court that he compiled a report and informed former AGU boss Major-General Andre Lincoln at least two weeks before Kinnear’s murder.
Olivier also recorded a telephone conversation between himself and Lincoln two days before the murder where he explained that Goldblatt informed him that Killian had purchased 150 pings and was pinging Kinnear every 30 seconds.
During the call, Olivier is heard asking Lincoln if the officers had received protection and Lincoln is heard saying: "That we have in place, yes.“
Lincoln also appears worried that he is being pinged and questions Olivier about whether the informant picked up anything on his number, but Olivier said there was nothing for Lincoln’s number.
Olivier says the informant was worried that something would happen to Kinnear and his colleague Sergeant Tisha van der Horst, and warns Lincoln to tell Kinnear to be extra vigilant.
At the time of the murder, former police minister Bheki Cele warned that "heads would roll" amid reports that Kinnear in fact had no police guard: "There is a question that keeps coming back: why were security details not honoured?”
He asked why when criminals were spotted around Kinnear’s house, his protection was withdrawn, leaving him “vulnerable”.
Meanwhile, allegations have surfaced of torture at the hands of Crime Intelligence officers to force an informant to make false statements against Kinnear.
The shocking statement made by former cop Chesron de Vries came during an intense cross-examination into corruption charges against Modack.
De Vries told the court that Captain Alfred Barker alleged that Kinnear and himself had collected money from an informant, known as Mohammed Hanware, after they interviewed him regarding a kidnapping and left with jars of atchaar.
Hanware was allegedly on Modack’s payroll.
De Vries said months later they were called into Parow police station and told by Hanware that Barker had burnt him with entjies to get him to make the statement.
Chuckles were heard in the courtroom when Judge Robert Henney questioned if they received mango atchaar.
The trial continues.