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Zane Kilian, who has been charged with murder, conspiracy to murder and illegal wiretapping. (Photo by Gallo Images / Brenton Geach)
If it were for Nicolette’s murder, the wife of Anti-Gang Unit Lt. Col. Charl Kinnear, Zane Kilian, the man involved in the plot to murder the decorated detective, would not get bail.
Speaking a day before Kilian appeared in Bellville Regional Court on Friday, November 27 to request bail, Kinnear’s widow said she would not attend the request.
“I want the magistrate to deny you bail. Kilian was part of the network that carried out the plot. To finish a race, you must start somewhere. At the end of the day, we want to know who gave the order and all those parts of the puzzle, ”he said.
Kilian, a former rugby player turned debt collector and private investigator, has been charged with murder, conspiracy to murder and illegal wiretapping.
Shortly after Kilian’s arrest for the September 18 murder of Kinnear in front of the home of the police officer at 10 Gearing Road, Bishop Lavis in Cape Town, the state indicated that it would object to bail.
Court documents and the charge sheet establish that Kilian conspired to assassinate Kinnear by pinging his phone at least 2,116 times until the day he was assassinated. It is the case with the state that Kilian is also guilty of murder because his actions played a vital role in the plot that led to the shooting of Kinnear outside his home.
Kinnear’s death exposed the scale of police corruption and a scandalous gun license fraud that included police officers allegedly in cahoots with suspected underworld boss Nafiz Modack. All officers face weapons-related charges and have been released on bail.
Investigations by Rogue citizen He also revealed that Kinnear was about to expose corrupt links between Gauteng police officers and the “Gauteng Mafia”.
The state’s strategy during the bail request will be instrumental in persuading the court that Kilian is at risk of flight and faces a murder charge for which, if convicted, he could receive a life sentence.
The state further maintains that Kinnear’s murder was previously mediated and that additional charges may be brought against Kilian.
The additional charges refer to the analysis of at least 10,000 pings allegedly made by Kilian. So far, he has also been charged with the alleged unsuccessful assassination attempt on top lawyer William Booth on April 9, 2020 in front of his home in Higgovale, Cape Town. Booth’s phone reportedly received 500 calls.
The pain and suffering inflicted on Kinnear’s family after his murder will be another avenue the state will explore to deny Kilian bail.
The documents that certify him as a registered private investigator with the Regulatory Authority of the Private Security Industry (PSIRA) and that authorized him to carry out surveillance will also weigh heavily against Kilian. The state claims these certificates are fraudulent.
A prominent criminal lawyer who commented on the case opined that “Every crime has its weights that will determine the punishment of a suspect. If a person is charged with a serious crime, such as murder, or is seen as a threat to society, they will not be easily granted bail.
“Important factors to consider are whether his release on bail would cause public disorder or undermine the sense of peace and security among members of the public, that the accused will not interfere with or contact any of the State’s witnesses or have any probative material that can be used in the prosecution of this matter and that is willing to submit to all the bail conditions imposed by the court ”.
But a counterargument from Kilian’s attorney will be that he was one of many people who pinged the phones. They will wonder why these people have not been arrested and charged and will argue that Kilian is not a flight risk and does not know the witnesses.
Your defense will most likely also raise the issue of a former police officer who allegedly pinged the phone of the murdered Johannesburg anesthetist Abdulhay Munshi. The 57-year-old doctor was killed in September.
Eric Bryer, a lawyer for Kilian, said: “Two months have passed since the murder of the doctor and the person accused of pinging the doctor’s phone has not been charged.”
From the beginning, Kilian’s attorney has maintained that Kilian did not commit murder, conspired to commit murder, and did not illegally trace Kinnear’s phone.
It’s Kilian’s version that a Mr. Mohamad asked him to ping his unfaithful wife’s phone and, while doing it 2,116 times, he didn’t know it was the phone of the policeman who was about to be killed. DM / MC
