Modack accuses Ipid of shielding higher-up cops
Cape Town - Alleged underworld kingpin Nafiz Modack has accused the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) of trying to persuade him to drop charges against high-ranking police officers.
The latest allegation comes amid a tense week of court proceedings centred on allegations by Modack against slain Anti-Gang Unit senior detective Charl Kinnear and former provincial head of detectives Jeremy Vearey.
Modack, who is accused of orchestrating the murder of Kinnear, is on trial at the Western Cape High Court where with 14 others, he faces charges including the grenade attack at Kinnear’s Bishop Lavis home and the botched hit on criminal attorney William Booth.
Over the past few months Modack’s claims he had corrupted Vearey and Kinnear by allegedly paying them to return his firearms have been tested as Hawks detective Edward du Plessis took to the stand.
At the centre of the controversy is a statement Modack made to a detective Captain Alfred Barker, and the use of this statement by the state to prove he attempted to corrupt the top cops. The Hawks revealed in their investigation it was established Modack claimed he was approached by a man known as Mohamed Hanware to facilitate payments. But bank records shown at court illustrated that R587000 had been paid to Hanware’s partner and not cops.
While Barker was subpoenaed by the state to meet with Modack’s Legal Aid lawyer Bash Sibda, Modack’s claims about Ipid sent tongues wagging in the court room
As Sibda concluded his cross examination, Modack passed a note to his lawyer levelling two more statements.
Sibda asked Hawks’ detective Du Plessis if he was aware that his client’s version was that Ipid investigators allegedly asked him to withdraw the charges against Vearey and to instead make a false statement against Barker.
The detective informed the court they were not aware of this version.
Chuckles were heard in the courtroom as those present noted that Modack gave the instruction as an Ipid investigator was seen walking into the courtroom.
Meanwhile, former Anti Gang Unit officer and co-accused, Ashley Tabisher, has objected to his warning statement being entered into evidence.
Tabisher, who alongside Amaal Jantjies and Janick Adonis, is set to stand trial on corruption charges, is representing himself at the mammoth trial.
He revealed in court that he had been offered bail to make the warning statement and the case was postponed to a trial-within-a-trial for Judge Robert Henney to ascertain if it should be admitted into evidence.
It is understood that the Hawks detectives who investigated the planned grenade attack on Kinnear’s home by Jantjies and Adonis will start presenting their evidence next week.
mahira.duval@inl.co.za
Cape Argus