IPID declassifies 2022 report linked to Charl Kinnear’s death

Charl Kinnear

Cape Town — The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) declassified the investigation report linked to the alleged actions and police conduct related to the death of Lieutenant Colonel Charl Kinnear.

Kinnear was killed outside his house on 18 September 2020, and his death prompted an in-depth investigation into the circumstances that surrounded it. He was the section commander of the Western Cape anti-gang unit and at the time of his death, was investigating a gun racketeering case involving the alleged organised crime boss Nafiz Modack and 8 high-ranking police officers.

During a media briefing today, IPID announced its decision to de-classify the Investigation report. After it had classified the report in 2022 it had to protect sensitive information of witnesses as well as information of implicated officers.
“The decision to classify the report in 2022, was guided by Section 33(2) of the IPID Act which states that information related to any investigation conducted by the Directorate, cannot be disclosed to any parties except those implicated or mentioned in the report,” IPID’s Dikeledi Ntlatseng said.
The Department had to ensure that it protected itself from being exposed at the time. Ntlatseng said the IPID’s decision was compelled by developments that took place around the issues that promoted the classification of the report in 2022.

In 2022, IPID was concerned about the information of witnesses and felt it was sensible to protect the witnesses and Nstlaseng said the information of witnesses is now in the public domain and is no longer compromised.
“The IPID investigation report also identified some of the officers who were implicated because of their actions or inactions. The inaction by police officers is constituted as misconduct by the SAPS Regulations,”  Nstlaseng said.
IPID made criminal referrals to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for prosecution and disciplinary recommendations against the implicated officers to SAPS and the Directorate for Priority Crimes (DPCI) as employers.
“Of the nine officers, seven were from SAPS and 2 were from the DPCI. SAPS informed IPID that it has initiated the process of instituting disciplinary sanctions against their officials as per IPID recommendations.
IPID added that it would engage with the NPA and the Director for Public Prosecutions in the Western Cape to review the 2022 decision.

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Compiled by Matthew Petersen

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