Alleged underworld kingpin, Nafiz Modack, along with his wife and other relatives are set to go on trial at the South Gauteng High Court next year on a range of gun-related charges.
Wife Rehana Ismail along with Modack's co-accused returned to the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court this week where they were informed that the matter was being transferred to the High Court.
The charges are linked to an investigation undertaken by slain Anti-Gang Unit detective Lieutenant-Colonel Charl Kinnear and his team which led to Modack’s arrest in June 2020, just months before Kinnear was shot and killed outside his Bishop Lavis home.
At the time cops revealed that the couple along with Modack’s younger brother, Yaseen, as well as Rehana’s sister, Roshana, and a long list of police officers faced charges of fraud, defeating the administration of justice and contravention of the Firearms Control Act on multiple case dockets in Edenvale, Kempton Park and Norwood in the Gauteng province.
It is alleged that the accused had received competency certificates, firearm licences and temporary authorisation to possess a firearm, “in a wrongful manner” after making applications at several cop shops in Cape Town and Gauteng.
Police also nabbed the owners of Acapulco Sports and Guns, Abdullah Mehtar and Mahomed Riaz Moosa, Abdulaliem Ismail, Faried Cassiem, Basheer Syce and Anwar Gallie.
It is understood that during the court appearance on Wednesday that Modack was not alongside the rest of the accused in the dock in Gauteng.
The case was postponed to 28 February for a pre-trial conference.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, Phindi Mjonondwane, confirms the appearance and says Modack’s matter has been postponed to 8 January for a bail application.
Modack is currently standing trial for the murder of Kinnear and others at the Western Cape High Court.
He is also set to go on trial at the same court in October 2025 where he faces charges linked to a a R46 million tax fraud case.
Modack, alongside his mother, Ruwaida; brother, Yaseen; Faried van der Schyff; Bashier Syce; Layla Bedderson; Dominique McLachlan and Kulsum van der Schyff, are facing more than 700 charges of racketeering, fraud, money laundering, forgery and uttering and contravention of the VAT Act.
The State is seeking to prove that the group had registered as VAT vendors and were e-filing claims for refunds which could not be determined. Payments of R46 million were received.
monique.duval@inl.co.za