Two alleged underworld kingpins and their co-accused made a dramatic appearance in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on Thursday, where the matter was moved to the regional court for trial.
Nafiz Modack, 36, and Colin Booysen, 50, the brother of alleged Sexy Boys gang leader Jerome “Donkie” Booysen, as well as Ashley Fields, 44, and Carl Lakay, 44, are all out on bail and stieked uit at the Cape Town Magistrate's Court in a convoy of larney cars and a host of heavily armed bodyguards.
However, Modack’s three cars - silver Mercedes Benz Vito van, a Merc ML and a Range Rover - were searched and impounded by cops soon after they arrived, allegedly for traffic by-law transgressions.
Modack told Daily Voice cops took his cars because they were fitted with bulletproof windows.
However the City’s JP Smith says it is not illegal to fit bulletproof windows to cars “as long it does not alter the roadworthiness of the vehicle”.
CONVOY: Booysen arrived in black BMW M5
The fifth accused, Jacques Cronje, 47 did not appear as he was attending a separate matter at the Wynberg Magistrate's Court.
The accused are out on R10 000 bail, except for Lakay who is out on R5 000.
They each face a charge of intimidation and eight charges of extortion relating to an alleged violent takeover of the Cape Town nightclub security business.
They were nabbed on 15 December for allegedly trying to extort R369 000 from The Grand Africa Cafe and Beach near the V&A Waterfront.
On Thursday, the matter was moved to the Cape Town Regional Court where the suspects will go on trial on 28 May.
Modack, Booysen and Fields turned heads when they arrived in a seven-car convoy including Booysens’ black BMW M5.
Private security, some armed with rifles, walked alongside the accused.
The guards, who outnumbered police, also stood guard inside court.
Modack’s lawyer, Advocate Irfaan Parker, said his client was trying to adhere to his bail conditions but police are not playing the game.
According to their bail conditions: the accused may not make contact with the complainants; or come near or inside the Grand Cafe and Beach; they have to sign in at their nearest police stations daily; and cannot leave the Western Cape without notifying the investigating officer. They are also banned from going near or entering any nightclub or restaurant in the CBD, Sea Point and Camps Bay areas.
SEARCH: Modack’s Mercedes Benz Vito was impounded
Parker said: “When my client arrived at the (Bothasig) police station, he was told not to come there. The station commander told him he was making a nuisance of himself.
“My client also has to travel, regarding his Johannesburg (court) matter, when I personally contact the investigating officer (Colonel Charl Kinnear), he does not answer his calls or SMSes.”
Booysen’s lawyer, Advocate Bruce Hendricks, and Lakay’s lawyer, Advocate Rooshdeen Rudolph, said they had similar problems.
“My client gets to the (Blue Downs police) station and he gets told there is no record of him. I have advised him to keep his own record and we want the state to address this issue,” said Rudolph.
“(Also) my client’s security personnel were harassed and their vehicles were searched by Captain Japhta without a warrant, even though they were parked legally,” he said.
After court, the group rushed to Cape Town police station where Modack’s Vito was immediately released.
He got his other vehicles back during the course of the day.