'Modack is manipulative'

CLAIMS of corruption by alleged underworld kingpin Nafiz Modack have come under scrutiny as the State has accused him of manipulating and misleading the court in his evidence. 

Modack appeared to have a tough day in the witness stand as State prosecutor, Advocate Greg Wolmarans, ripped holes in his version as he faced extensive cross-examination at the Western Cape High Court. 

Modack and 14 others face a vrag charges, ranging from murder to money laundering, in the mammoth underworld trial centred on the death of slain Anti-Gang Unit detective Lieutenant-Colonel Charl Kinnear, who was gunned down outside his Bishop Lavis home in September 2020. 

In his evidence, Modack pointed fingers at former Western Cape detective head Major-General Vearey, claiming he was extorted and was forced to pay a middle man known as Mohamed Hanware. 

Hanware denied this in the trial saying he told Modack liegstories to recover his own money Modack had allegedly owed him. But Modack insisted Vearey received the money claiming to have overheard phone calls. 

In his earlier comments, Modack blamed the death of Kinnear on his colleagues saying SAPS was responsible for the murder. 

He told the court that he paid Vearey over R3 million, claiming he feared for his life and was being extorted by cops. 

Despite his denials that he was the controller of a multi-million bank account which the State alleges was used for money laundering, Wolmarans highlighted statements Modack had made to police where he claimed under oath that the bank account belonged to him. 

Modack denied being the controller and claimed his younger brother and co-accused, Yaseen, saying he "loaned" the money to allegedly pay Vearey. 

Wolmarans accused Modack of being manipulative and changing his version. 

Highlighting the contents of two different statements made to the police, the prosecutor showed how Modack has changed his story.

Modack had blamed Vearey for raids on his home but later in a statement to the Anti-Corruption Unit he blamed Kinnear. 

Modack was heard bekking af with the prosecutor, denying he was manipulating the information saying he did not have the statements before him to get the dates in order.

But Judge Robert Henney told him as he had made the statements under oath, the prosecutor was free to question him on the contents. 

The trial continues.