Top criminal lawyer killed in hit

An arrest has been made after one of Cape Town’s top criminal lawyers, advocate Pete Mihalik, was shot dead while dropping his child at school on Tuesday.

“This office can confirm that a suspect is being questioned by detectives ... [from] the anti-gang unit in connection with the murder of a 50-year-old man this morning in Green Point‚” said a police spokesperson.

Mihalik was killed in what witnesses described as an execution outside Reddam House Atlantic Seaboard in Green Point, his partner Bruce Hendricks said.

It is understood that Mihalik’s eight-year-old son was injured in the shooting and was admitted to hospital. His daughter was unhurt. His wife died several years ago.

Sources said Mihalik had bodyguards but “the shooter went up to the car window and just killed him”. Paramedics arrived on the scene but were unable to save him.

There was a single bullet hole in the driver’s window of Mihalik’s Mercedes-Benz AMG. After the shooting it remained in the street with its passenger doors open. The suspect was seen fleeing the scene in a metallic grey VW Polo.

Police spokesperson Sgt Noloyiso Rwexana confirmed the shooting.

As well as Jason Rohde‚ the Johannesburg business person accused of murdering his wife‚ Susan‚ at Spier in Stellenbosch in 2017‚ Mihalik’s clients include some of Cape Town’s leading gangsters.

PENDING TRIAL

There has also been speculation that Mihalik’s shooting could be connected to the trial of alleged extortion syndicate boss Nafiz Modack‚ which will start in the Cape Town Regional Court next week.

Mihalik led several other lawyers representing Modack’s four co-accused — Colin Booysen, brother of alleged Sexy Boys boss Jerome “Donkie” Booysen; Ashley Fields; Jacques Cronje; and Carl Lakay — when they accused the police of corruption during a bail hearing earlier this year. They tried to implicate investigating officers under the command of Maj-Gen Jeremy Vearey in working with controversial business person Mark Lifman.

Mihalik withdrew from the case and handed the reins to Hendricks‚ after he was accused of brokering extortion deals involving business people in Cape Town.

Lakay was shot in a hit outside his house in Goodwood in August. His shooting came shortly after “Donkie” Booysen was shot and wounded at a Spur steakhouse in Kuils River‚ sparking battles between gangs on the Cape Flats.