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Former top cop Andre Lincoln dismisses claims that foiled Kinnear grenade attack was a set-up

Former top cop Andre Lincoln dismisses claims that foiled Kinnear grenade attack was a set-up
Vincent Cruywagen
By Vincent Cruywagen
5 Nov 2024
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Former Anti-Gang Unit boss Andre Lincoln has dismissed a suspect’s claim that an attempted grenade attack on the late Charl Kinnear’s house was a police plot to implicate alleged underworld figure Nafiz Modack.

On Tuesday, 5 November 2024, Major General Andre Lincoln, the retired Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) boss, was on the stand in the Western Cape High Court in the murder trial of AGU Lieutenant Colonel Charl Kinnear, refuting claims that he was part of a plot to set up or kill alleged underworld figure Nafiz Modack.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, Janick Adonis, a Junky Funky Kids gang member, claimed he informed Kinnear that Modack had allegedly arranged a hit on Kinnear, Lincoln and Captain Althea Jeftha. 

Adonis told the court that Kinnear then devised a plan to trap Modack by staging a hand grenade attack at Kinnear’s Bishop Lavis home. Adonis further claimed that the plan had been concocted to ensure Modack would be arrested for the grenade attack and, if he resisted, would be shot.

In November 2019, suspects indeed approached Kinnear’s house with a plan to throw a grenade at the property’s wall. However, they dropped the grenade when approached by police officers protecting Kinnear and were arrested and charged. 

Read more: Nafiz Modack arranged 2019 hand grenade hit on Charl Kinnear, State claims

Lincoln has denied being a part of the alleged plot, saying there was no plan to stage the attack and implicate Modack.

Adonis is facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder relating to attempts on the life of Kinnear, including the failed hand grenade attack on Kinnear’s house on 23 November 2019.

The purpose of Lincoln’s testimony on Tuesday was to incorporate his previous evidence given in a trial-within-a-trial, which included the failed hand grenade attack and Kinnear’s eventual assassination.

Read more: Top cops deny accused suspect’s claim of tampering with evidence in Charl Kinnear murder case

Kinnear was murdered on 18 September 2020 in front of his house. Modack and former rugby player Zane Kilian are the primary suspects in Kinnear’s murder and the attempted murder of lawyer William Booth on 9 April 2020 at his home in Cape Town.

Both pleaded not guilty to these charges, as did the co-accused on the other charges.

Modack, Kilian and Adonis, along with 12 co-accused, are collectively facing 124 charges including murder, attempted murder, corruption, gangsterism, extortion, the illegal interception of communications, money laundering and contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.

The other accused are Jacques Cronje, Ziyaad Poole, Moegamat Brown, Riyaat Gesant, Fagmeed Kelly, Mario Petersen, Petrus Visser, Amaal Jantjies, former AGU Sergeant Ashley Tabisher, Yaseen Modack, Mogamat Mukudam and Ricardo Morgan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0KUeAWtuVY&ab_channel=DailyMaverick

Ipid report has no evidential value


Advocate Pieter Nel, appearing for Adonis, brought up Kinnear’s 2019 59-page report, in which the late AGU officer forwarded to Crime Intelligence national head Lieutenant General Peter Jacobs, Ipid and other senior provincial and divisional commissioners, as well as Ipid’s subsequent report into Kinnear’s death.

Kinnear’s report claimed that certain cops in the Western Cape, some with links to Crime Intelligence, were working against him and some of his colleagues.

Read more: Charl Kinnear assassination four years on – a trial plus ‘lies, deceit and empty promises’

Adonis stated that Lincoln allegedly discussed this report in his presence.

Lincoln responded to this allegation: “I have never discussed Kinnear’s 59-page affidavit in front of Adonis. The 59-page affidavit was widely reported in the press.”

Nel also raised the Ipid report into Kinnear’s death, which although it remains classified, has been leaked to the media and contains scathing findings about how the police could have prevented his murder.

Judge Robert Henney asked Nel about the purpose of bringing the Ipid report into the trial and whether he could bring Ipid members to substantiate the report.

Nel told the court he had the Ipid report and wanted to hand it in.

Henney said: “The Ipid report is an opinion of a person. It means nothing to this court. Bring the Ipid people here, let us cross-examine them, let us hear the evidence about that. You are talking about faceless people, it is a police report.

“What is contained in that report is of no value to this court unless it is proven by means of evidence. The report does not have any evidential value unless it is proven to be fact…”

The matter continues in the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday.

Ipid is also scheduled to hold a press briefing on Wednesday on the classification of its report on Kinnear’s murder. DM

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