Adv. William Booth. ( Jaco Marais)
- Springs-based private investigator Zane Kilian now faces charges of being involved with a Cape Town gang.
- He was arrested for the murder of Anti-Gang Unit detective Charl Kinnear, but now also faces charges related to the William Booth shooting.
- He faces charges for allegedly intercepting Booth’s phone and data before the shooting, allegedly carried out by one of his female co-accused.
Springs-based private investigator and former rugby player Zane Kilian has been drawn into allegations of being part of a plot by Cape Town gang Terrible West Siders to kill top lawyer William Booth.
Kilian appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday in a twist in the investigation into the murder of Anti-Gang Unit detective Lieutenant-Colonel Charl Kinnear.
Kinnear was allegedly shot dead outside his house in Bishop Lavis, Cape Town, on 18 September.
Kilian, who said he was a registered private investigator, was arrested in Gauteng and brought to the Western Cape for the case against him.
PICS | Murder of Charl Kinnear captured on chilling CCTV footage
Kilian faces charges of murder, fraud and violations of telecommunications and electronic communications laws in the Kinnear case.
His bail application was meant to be heard in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Monday, but the new development relating to the shooting at Booth’s home put that on hold until 27 November.
Booth is well-known around Cape Town’s courts as a criminal defence lawyer. He is also the chairperson of the criminal law committee of the Law Society of SA.
The latest charges against Kilian emerged from early analysis of a “ping list” of people whose numbers had allegedly been tracked and monitored.
Location
Kinnear’s phone is alleged to have been pinged more than 2 000 times, reportedly using location based services.
Following an analysis of the list, Kilian was added to the case in which five people have already been arrested for the attempted shooting of Booth.
The shots were allegedly fired at Booth’s house in Cape Town on 9 April, reviving fears among lawyers after the murders of Pete Mihalik, Vernon Jantjies, David Mbazwana and Noordien Hassan.
READ | Cape Town attorney William Booth shot at in his garage, escapes unharmed
Booth was not injured in the shooting but after that incident CCTV footage was pulled from the surrounding area and eventually the five people were charged.
Kilian is now the sixth accused with Kauthar Brown, Ebrahim Deare, Riyaad Gesant, Kim Smith and Igsaan Williams.
Kilian appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday under heavy guard by the Anti-Gang Unit, whose officers wore bullet proof vests, face buffs and masks, and carried rifles as they stood guard around him after bringing him into the dock. His wrists were tied in front of him, and he appeared without his co-accused.
Kilian now also faces charges of conspiring to murder Booth, attempted murder of Booth, and intercepting Booth’s communications and data via his cellphone.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila told the media outside court he also faced a charge of being involved in gang activities.
Gang
According to the State’s case so far, Brown, Deare, Gesant and Smith are allegedly part of the Terrible West Siders.
The State contends the Terrible West Siders fit the description of a gang in that they work in groups of three of more people who work in a pattern of criminal activity from Woodstock, and have done so for years.
The State is also bringing charges under the Riotous Assemblies Act relating to the alleged plot to shoot Booth.
The State alleges that Deare, Gesant and Williams also broke lockdown regulations by not being at home or within 5km of their home days before the shooting, as some of them carried out their alleged plot at Booth’s home.
The charges alleged:
They have no respect for the current Covid-19 regulations as they conspired to commit murder and attempted to murder Mr William Booth during the national lockdown.
The State alleges it was Brown who shot at Booth.
The State is also alleging the gun used did not have a permit, and nor was there a permit for five rounds of ammunition.
Kilian will be moved from the Bellville police holding cells to Goodwood Prison.
But his lawyer, Eric Bryer, said his client already had a medical appointment lined up at the Bellville holding cells.
Kilian’s Kinnear and Booth-related bail applications could be combined for them to be heard as one.
Kilian was driven away under heavy police guard again with sirens wailing and blue lights flashing as he was raced through the CBD with a large crowd gathered to watch the spectacle.
Read the original article on News 24
