Former top cop Major-General Jeremy Vearey has denied claims that he ever received kroon from alleged underworld kingpin, Nafiz Modack.
Months after the allegations of police corruption surfaced in the mammoth underworld trial at the Western Cape High Court, Vearey boldly took to the stand to outline his interactions with Modack as the former provincial head of detectives and commander of the late Lieutenant-Colonel Charl Kinnear.
In June, a statement made by Modack nearly six years ago surfaced, claiming Vearey and Kinnear were on his payroll.
In the statement captured by Captain Alfred Barker, Modack claimed after being released on bail he was approached by a man known as Mohamed Hanware who said he could help Modack get his firearms back by paying cops R150 000.
Modack said he met with Hanware in August 2018 where he handed over R30 000. This was followed by two more payments of R40 000 and R80 000 which were paid into a bank account given to him by Hanware.
In his investigation, Du Plessis said he found that the money was transferred from the bank account of Empire Car Investments into four accounts belonging to the wife of Hanware, Advocate Caitlin Bowen.
Court documents shown in court showed various transfers with various payments from 2018 to 2020 using references such as ‘Gen V’ amounting to R587 000. The money trail stopped with the couple.
In his testimony on Tuesday, Vearey explained that he had a meeting with Modack on 3 May 2017 regarding firearm violations by local security companies.
He said Modack played him audio recordings of a conversation he’d had with a senior cop and Vearey said he initiated a stakeout where Modack was watched as he met with this senior cop.
Vearey said Modack had tried to level a complaint about the confiscation of a small number of firearms, but he told Modack, as he had instituted legal proceedings against the police, the matter should not be discussed.
Responding to questions by the State prosecutor, Vearey rubbished Modack’s claims that he colluded with dikdinge such as Jerome “Donkie’ Booysen, Mark Lifman and Ralph Stanfield.
“It is false. They are not my friends. They were my targets,” he said as he outlined investigations he undertook into the three men.
Asked whether he had ever received money from Hanware as alleged by Modack, Vearey insisted: “It is false.”
He confirmed he became aware of Modack’s statement via the Hawks and said the statement proved that while he never received any money, Modack had the intention of corrupting a police official and should be charged.
Vearey also took a swipe at Barker saying: “He is no detective. Not competent.”
Vearey will return to the stand on Monday.