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- Former rugby player and private investigator Zane Kilian denies murdering the Anti-Gang Unit detective, Lt. Col. Charl Kinnear.
- In his lawyer’s presentation, he said that any tracing work he does is legal and in the line of private investigations for which he is registered.
- A petition calling for the arrest of the “real killer” is circulating online.
Former rugby player and private investigator Zane Kilian denies murdering the Anti-Gang Unit detective, Lt. Col. Charl Kinnear. This came on a day of tension and drama at Bishop Lavis Magistrates Court on Friday.
“He did not commit murder. He did not conspire to commit murder. And he did not transgress the [Telecommunications Act] whatever, “said his lawyer, attorney Eckhard Rösemann.
Kilian appeared in Bishop Lavis Magistrates Court on Friday under heavy police guard.
At least 40 armed officers from various units, including task force officers wearing helmets and goggles, guarded the interior and exterior of the court, while officers in plain clothes and ski masks also monitored the scene.
After a long delay, with horses hauling recycled materials around taxis passing outside on the busy highway, while a Nyala police waited for Kilian, the case finally began.
All the devices were first checked by the police to see if they were turned off to prevent photos being taken inside the court, and the credentials of the journalists were verified.
Kilian’s entrance to the dock was marked by police officers in front of him, standing with their rifles at the ready, pointing downward.
Find a safer court
Prosecutor Greg Wolmarans reiterated that the parties had agreed that a more secure court should be found and that the case should be transferred to a regional court.
Kinnear was shot and killed in his car outside his home in Bishop Lavis on September 18. It is understood that Kinnear was being tracked before he was killed.
Wolmarans said there was a delay in hearing the bail request and transferring the case to a regional court because a regional court that could accommodate Kilian’s case had not yet been located.
He hoped that by the return date, October 14, this would have been resolved as Kilian’s lawyers had complained about the violation of his constitutional rights.
The burly Kilian was standing on the dock in a black hoodie again and black-rimmed glasses. His hair had been trimmed, but the tattoos on his head were still showing.
Kilian’s case is still in its early stages and he has yet to apply for bail or plead guilty, but his lawyer wanted to present two documents to the court.
He presented evidence that the Springs-based private investigator is registered with the industry’s governing body and is also registered with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA).
Online petition
“This really allows him to do satellite surveillance and tracking,” Rösemann said, before addressing one of the charges his client faces: the alleged illegal interception of communications.
“What he has been accused of doing, he did legally,” he said, without elaborating on the tracing aspect.
Wolmarans said that if the lawyer wanted to “load the court” with more documents before the bail application, he had the right to do so, and they were entered on the record.
Kilian’s legal team believes his rights are being violated by delaying his bail request, and a petition is circulating online calling for the arrest of the “real killer.”
The petition includes an image from CCTV footage of a person alleged to be the shooter, who appears to be of a smaller build than Kilian.
“Bail for Zane Kilian. Catch the real killer, the police have the wrong man in custody!” it reads.
A group of women gathered to protest the rape of a nine-year-old girl in Langa in July last year, as dogs barked in shock.
His mother was among the group who later joined neighbors who had arrived for the blocked street show for Kilian’s convoy to return to the holding cells.
The armored police car leaves the court.
Police prepare to transfer Zane Kilian from Bishop Lavis Magistrates Court.
Police prepare to transfer Zane Kilian from Bishop Lavis Magistrates Court.
The police verified that the devices were turned off to avoid any recording or images during the appearance.
“Stop that car!” shouted a commanding officer, as the Anti-Gang Unit and other units cleared the way for the Nyala police to pass with their escorts.
People yelled about how many police officers were present to protect Kilian, compared to Kinnear who had no protection while investigating dangerous high profile cases.
When the Nyala police finally left the court premises, one person shouted, “Damn!”
A woman yelled, “You must go to Goodwood, the
agge (eights) is waiting for you “, referring to the gang of 28.
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