Modack slapped with murder charge on Eid

ALLEGED underworld figure Nafiz Modack celebrated a bleak Eid while he stood in the dock with former rugby player Zane Kilian and car salesperson Ricardo Morgan when they were officially charged with the murder and conspiracy to commit murder of AntiGang Unit commander Charl Kinnear.

The trio allegedly conspired to intercept data from the cellphones of well-known people including the City’s JP Smith, alleged gang boss Ralph Stanfield, Major-General Jeremy Vearey and Mark Lifman.

Outside the Blue Down’s Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Modack’s supporters came bearing food hoping he would be freed to celebrate the holy day on the Muslim calendar.

Modack, Kilian, Jacques Cronje, Morgan and AGU member Ashley Tabisher were in the dock yesterday. It was the first time Modack and Kilian, the main accused, had stood next to each other in the dock.

Kinnear’s widow Nicolette and her sons were also in court.

There are a total of seven accused. Accused five and six – Amaal Jantjies and Janick Adonis – were not present. Jantjies has a bail application running at the Parow Regional Court and Adonis is a sentenced prisoner.

They are accused of having conspired to kill Kinnear by arranging hitmen for a hand grenade attack on him and his family in November 2019.

Kinnear was killed outside his Bishop Lavis home in September last year.

It is the State’s case that Modack and Kilian acted together as an enterprise between October 2019 and September last year through a pattern of racketeering, with activities related

to the following charges: conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, interception of data from the cellphones in contravention of the Electronics and Transactions Act, corruption of police officers, conspiracy to possess a firearm, ammunition, conspiracy to acquire explosives, kidnapping, extortion, malicious damage to property, money laundering and murder. According to the charge sheet, Modack managed the enterprise with the other accused under his leadership.

The Hawks released a statement after the court appearance yesterday, saying Morgan was the third accused

in the murder. But this was refuted by NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila who said only Modack and Kilian were charged with the murder.

The matter was postponed until Monday for bail applications, except for Morgan who was granted R50000 bail.