Lawyers for alleged underworld kingpin Nafiz Modack have petitioned the Western Cape High Court to bring him to a prison closer to Cape Town as they are unable to consult.
This was heard at the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday as Modack appeared via a video link.
Modack, who is held at Helderstroom Prison (120km outside of Cape Town), is facing three major trials for various charges including bribing cops, orchestrating the murder of police chief Charl Kinnear and, along with his own family, defrauding SARS out of R46 million.
Modack’s mother Ruwaida, his brother Yaseen, former SARS employee Faried van der Schyff, as well as Bashier Syce, Nadia Said, Dominique McLachlan and Kulsum van der Schyff, were busted in October last year for allegedly providing fake tax returns. Cops later also arrested Layla Bedderson.
The State is set to prove that the group had registered as VAT vendors and were e-filing claims for refunds which could not be determined, and that payments of R46m from SARS were received.
NPA spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, says: “Advocate (Dirk) Uys advised the court that they have brought an application to have his client incarcerated closer.”
The case was postponed to 7 July for the accused’s legal counsel to study documents sent by the state and for them to take instructions.