A former cop accused of colluding with alleged underworld kingpin, Nafiz Modack, has lodged an appeal after his bail application was denied at the Western Cape High Court.
Just weeks after he abruptly fired his legal representatives and opted to defend himself in the murder trial of Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) commander Charl Kinnear next year, Ashley “Puppy” Tabisher dropped another bombshell, this time accusing Judge Mark Sher of “making errors” in his bail judgement.
The former AGU sergeant was arrested in his Elsies River home in April 2021 after the Hawks swooped on Modack and his co-accused.
He was charged for allegedly konkeling with Modack through an associate known as Amaal Jantjies.
Jantjies and her berk Jannick Adonis were busted for plotting a grenade attack on Kinnear in 2019 and according to the State’s case, Tabisher allegedly took R10 000 and a cellphone from Jantjies to give her information about when AGU was planning to raid Modack’s homes.
Adonis was granted bail when he appeared on a separate matter at Khayelitsha Priority Court.
Tabisher has denied the charges, claiming that he was instructed by former AGU head, Major-General Andre Lincoln, to communicate with Jantjies and was part of a group of officers assigned to bring Adonis to the AGU base after his court appearances, instead of returning him to prison.
In his bail application, Tabisher said it’s unfair that the bail of other cops facing similar charges was not opposed by the state.
However, in his judgement, Sher stated that Tabisher’s arguments were “misplaced”.
In his appeal, Tabisher said Sher erred when he dismissed his bail application, as “the evidence” showed that he would not endanger the safety of any person, evade trial or commit an offence.
In his address at court during his latest pre-trial, Tabisher slammed the State for not opposing the bail of another AGU officer who is set to stand trial alongside Mark Lifman and alleged Sexy Boys gang boss, Jerome “Donkie” Booysen on similar charges.
His statement reads: “Here I am before court and boldly saying I am innocent. The State knows they don’t have any evidence of me receiving money and a cellphone. Lastly, I hope you sleep well knowing an innocent man is in prison for a crime he didn’t commit and having to miss out on the third Christmas away from his family.”
A date for the appeal to be heard has not yet been set.
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