Murder suspect a dik ding
BEHIND BARS: Zane Killian, former rugby pro from Joburg
The man accused of the murder of top cop Charl Kinnear will remain behind bars until his bail application next month.
The State has confirmed that it will oppose bail in the case of Zane Kilian, a debt collector who is accused of playing a key role in the assassination of the SAPS investigator.
The 39-year-old made his first appearance in the Bishop Lavis Magistrates’ Court on Friday, on charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and unlawful interception of communication.
Kilian, who is heavily tattooed, played professional rugby for the Valke between 2005 and 2013, making 34 Currie Cup appearances.
Kinnear was shot and killed in what is believed to be a hit outside his Bishop Lavis home on Friday, 18 September.
Kilian allegedly traced Kinnear through his cellphone from March to the day he was killed.
He reportedly claimed that a person named “Mohamad” had ordered him to trace Kinnear’s phone.
He was taken in for questioning by the Hawks at his home in Springs in Gauteng last Monday.
The case has been postponed to 5 October and the suspect will remain behind bars for now at the Bellville Police Station.
The NPA said they would oppose bail should the defence bring an application.
Kilian is being represented by attorney Eric Bryer, the former lawyer of Czech crime boss Radovan Krejcir.
Hawks spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said “the suspect was formally arrested in Gauteng on Wednesday and details surrounding the murder are still unknown”.
“It is alleged that Kinnear had just arrived home when the suspect approached his car and opened fire on him at close range,” he said.
“More arrests are not ruled out as investigations are still under way.”
Before his death Kinnear, 52, a top detective in the Anti-Gang Unit, had secured a guilty conviction against two members of the notorious The Firm gang and was the lead investigator in several high-profile investigations including the extortion case involving nightclub security boss Nafiz Modack, the murder of top criminal lawyer Pete Mihalik and a firearm licensing fraud case which led to the arrest of cops in Gauteng.
Questions have been raised about why Kinnear’s armed protection was withdrawn last December.
Sunday the Democratic Alliance called on the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) to probe possible police involvement in Kinnear’s murder.
Andrew Whitfield, DA Shadow Minister of Police, said: “This is in light of reports that Kinnear was on the brink of cracking a “guns-to-gangs” syndicate at the police Central Firearms Registry (CFR).
“If these reports are to be believed, Kinnear would have possibly exposed large-scale corruption within the CFR ranks.
“The DA believes that IPID has an important role to play in exposing the rot in the SAPS which may have led to Kinnear’s horrendous murder.”
Private forensics investigator Paul O’Sullivan has offered R1 million for the successful prosecution of those responsible for the murder.
Kinnear’s house has three visible cameras mounted on the wall with two of them facing in the direction of the place his car was parked at the time of the shooting.