A special court is being built at the Goodwood Prison in Cape Town – specifically for the murder and racketeering trial of Nafiz Modack and his co-accused.
Also read: Nafis Modack and associates to appear in Western Cape High Court
According to prosecutor Greg Wolmarans, the new setting is expected to ease logistical challenges associated with the trial. Modack is due to appear along with 14 other people involved in his case. The site is an existing facility, which is being converted into a court.
As reported by News24, prison courts place extra restrictions on the public and media who want to observe the proceedings. For example, cellphones are not allowed inside – even for media – and at Pollsmoor, proceedings can only be viewed via a TV in the waiting area.
Authorities also hope to avoid potential fights between different groups in accused gangs, as they typically get close to each other in holding cells in the High Court before proceedings start.
In Modack’s case, those accused include alleged members of the Terrible Westsiders and the Junky Funky Kids gangs. The case includes the murders of anti-gang unit detective Charl Kinnear, the father of a former Hawks officer, a tow truck driver and a night club bouncer. The attempted murder of lawyer William Booth and a security company owner will also be addressed.
The accused will be transported from six different prisons for each court appearance with the hope that this move will decrease the need for high speed security convoys across the city.
Once complete, the court will have consulting rooms for lawyers and single jail cells. It is not clear whether these cells will be used for overnight stays. Work is scheduled to be complete by October.
Modack’s next appearance is scheduled for a pretrial on 9 June in the Western Cape High Court.
Also read:
“The Nafiz Modack Enterprise”: Alleged contact for hitman still in custody
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