The murder trial of Nafiz Modack was unexpectedly interrupted on Thursday when one of his co-accused was allegedly discovered with tik in his possession at the Western Cape High Court. Modack, along with 14 others, faces numerous charges connected to the murder of anti-gang unit detective Charl Kinnear and the attempted assassination of criminal defence attorney William Booth, both pivotal elements in a broader underworld case.
The court witnessed dramatic developments during the lunch break, as senior Hawks officers were seen arriving at the courtroom. The atmosphere in the court shifted when police officers began conducting a thorough search of the holding cells and the courtroom.
According to sources, one of Modack’s co-accused, Moegamat Toufeek “Bubbles” Brown, was found in possession of drugs. Brown, who is allegedly a leader of the Terrible West Siders gang, is also charged with his involvement in the attempted assassination of lawyer William Booth.
A reliable source revealed to the Daily Voice that Brown was allegedly found with a packet of tik in his possession. The drugs were reportedly concealed within a plastic tube typically used for storing effervescent flu tablets.
“He was found with a packet of tik and it is alleged that it was passed to him by a lawyer,”
the source explained.
“He was allegedly watched for a long time and there were several exchanges in the past week and on Thursday the Hawks decided to search the accused during the lunch hour. They found him in possession of a tik which was hidden inside a plastic tube which holds effervescent flu tablets.”
The discovery was made just before the lunch break concluded, shortly after the Hawks launched their search operation. As the search intensified, Major-General Mathipa Makgato, the provincial head of the Hawks, was seen arriving at the scene. At this point, the area around Court 1 was sealed off, with a detective heard saying,
“This is now a crime scene.”
Following this shocking development, Judge Robert Henney called a meeting with legal representatives in his chambers before proceedings resumed. During this time, Hawks detective Captain Edward du Plessis was seen holding an evidence bag.
Nazier Parkar, Brown’s attorney, promptly withdrew from the case after the drug allegations were brought to light. Parkar stated he had no prior knowledge of the accusations against his client.
“I was not aware that Bubbles was charged with tik until it was brought to the attention of the judge,”
Parkar commented.
“I heard that there was allegations that there were drugs found on one of the accused and the allegation that I had somehow supplied him with his drugs is denied by me.”
Parkar further elaborated on his decision to step down from the case, stating that the accusations created a conflict of interest.
“The reason I am withdrawing from this matter is simply because I believe that the allegations emanate from one of the accused, and I deny it. As a consequence of the conflict that now exists, I cannot further participate in this matter, and the nature of the allegations renders my participation untenable at this stage.”
Major-General Makgato clarified that, as of now, no formal charges have been laid against Brown in connection with the drug discovery. The matter is currently under investigation by the Hawks.
The trial has been postponed until Monday to allow Brown, as well as co-accused Ziyaad Poole and Adiel Mukadam, to apply for legal aid so the case can move forward. The testimony of former police officer Chesron de Vries, which had been scheduled, has been delayed until new legal representatives are appointed for the accused.
