Alleged underworld kingpin, Nafiz Modack, claims Anti-Gang Unit detective Charl Kinnear was killed because he had planned to ‘come clean’ and piemp his cop colleagues.
The shocking claims were made at the Western Cape High Court yesterday the defence lawyer for the man accused of orchestrating Kinnear’s death returned to the dock with his co-accused in the ongoing underworld trial.
Modack’s claims come after testimony by a self-confessed hitman, Mr A, who claimed he was contracted by Modack to carry out hits on rivals, which included Nico Heerschap, William Booth and Andre Naude.
However, during his cross examinations of the state witness yesterday, defence advocate Bash Sibda blasted Mr A, saying he was nothing but a pawn being used to nail Modack.
Sibda said his client became a target of high-ranking police officials, including former Major-General Jeremy Vearey and former AGU boss Andre Lincoln as well as Kinnear.
In addition, he said Modack also faced opposition from controversial businessman Mark Lifman and alleged Sexy Boys gang boss, Jerome Booysen, as he took over the security at various nightclubs between the Cape Town CBD and Camps Bay and curtailed drug sales.
Sibda further explained that during 2017 the clubs came under attack by a Nommers gang who fired randomly at patrons in a bid to create instability on the nightclub scene.
According to court documents for a separate matter, Lifman and Booysen are accused of arranging 27s skollies to take back the clubs from Modack, along with slain 27s gang boss, Red Stevens.
Sibda said it was no coincidence that Kinnear was killed just days after his security detail was removed.
The lawyer says: “Kinnear wanted to come clean and report the improper conduct of himself and other police officials. We have witnesses.”
He accused Mr A, who is already serving a sentence for the murder of Heerschap, 74, of obtaining a “sweetheart deal” after pleading guilty.
Sibda said Mr A’s version that he met with Modack at a filling station in an area where Booysen allegedly had a stronghold was ‘unlikely’.
Sibda said Mr A’s claim that Modack congratulated him for Heerschap’s murder were improbable as the gunman had admitted to shooting the wrong person - instead of killing the Hawks detective, he had killed his elderly father.
Mr A also came under scrutiny for his claims that the plan to assassinate attorney William Booth was in retaliation for the murder of Advocate Pete Mihalik.
Sibda highlighted a media article where Booth denied ever being Booysen’s lawyer, following claims to the contrary made by Mr A in court.
Sibda adds: “He [Booth] says you are talking nonsense.”
But the adamant hitman said Booth can’t wys him and said Modack was telling liegstories: “How can he tell me it’s nonsense. I followed him day and night and he didn’t even know I was there.”
Questioning him about the “stukkie” (money) he received for the hits, the court room erupted in chuckles as Judge Robert Henney told Mr A: "A stukkie can mean a lot of things.“
Sibda warned that Modack had evidence and that things “would get ugly”.
The trial continues.