Modack trial: Accused accuses police of illegally accessing her cellphones

CAPE TOWN - An accused in the high-profile trial against alleged underworld gang boss, Nafiz Modack, says police had access to her cellphones before the devices were booked in as evidence.

Amaal Jantjies, who faces charges related to a hand grenade attack on slain top cop Charl Kinnear has accused police of tampering with her phones.

Jantjies, along with Modack and 13 other co-accused face 122 charges for various crimes centred around the murder of Kinnear in September 2020.

She was arrested on the same night of the foiled grenade attack on Kinnear in November 2019.

Anti-gang unit member John van Staden told the court Faiz Smith, who was arrested after being caught with the grenade, identified Jantjies as the mastermind of the attack.

Van Staden said after Jantjies was arrested, he received two cellphones that were confiscated from her, but only decided to book them in as evidence 11 days later, in Gauteng.

He told the court he made the decision because the phones contained vital evidence, and he feared the devices would be intercepted by a rogue unit operating in Cape Town.

Jantjies, who took the stand to testify on Monday, insisted her rights were not explained to her and evidence related to the case was deleted from the phones.

The trial is set to continue on Tuesday with the state's cross-examination of Jantjies.