Widow of murdered detective Kinnear wants answers

PARLIAMENT’S portfolio committee on police made a commitment to Nicolette Kinnear, the widow of murdered anti-gang unit senior detective Charl Kinnear, that it would seek justice and ensure accountability for the death of her husband.

This after the committee considered a petition from her on Tuesday which highlighted a number of questions that still need to be addressed.

Committee chairperson Tina Joemat-Pettersson said Kinnear must be assured that the committee would not leave the matter until they found justice for her and her children.

“We will keep this matter on the programme of the committee until we find answers to the questions you have raised,” said Joemat-Pettersson.

In her petition, Kinnear wanted to know why protection services were removed from outside their home on December 19, 2019, and what happened between September 6, 2020 up to the day of her husband’s murder.

Charles Kinnear, who was known for his excellence in working on several high-profile investigations, was shot and killed outside his home in Bishop Lavis on September 18 last year.

The only suspect arrested for his murder was Zane Kilian, who owns a tracking and investigation company, and has also been accused of tracking Kinnear’s cellphone.

Kilian, whose bail was expected to resume in the Bellville regional court on Friday, was arrested in Gauteng on September 23.

Kinnear told the committee that her husband informed her on Sep-tember 5 last year that his phone was being tracked.

After she submitted the petition, Police Minister Bheki Cele appeared before the committee, where he stated in his presentation that on December 13, 2019 a decision was taken to withdraw the static protection capability based on the fact that the deployment was an interim measure to provide protection, pending the outcome of a formal threat assessment by National Counter Intelligence.

Cele said the threat assessment was, however, not finalised as a result of Kinnear’s reluctance to co-operate with National Counter Intelligence.

“Consequently, the threat could not be confirmed at the time, resulting in the withdrawal of the static protection,” he said.

He said the threat and risk assessment associated with Kinnear was initiated on November 14, 2019.

After several attempts to conduct the assessment, the assessor met with Kinnear on March 11, 2020 in Cape Town.

“Due to operational commitments, Kinnear requested that the assessment be postponed to a later stage. Subsequent to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and associated restrictions, the finalisation of the assessment was further delayed.”

However, Cele said the criminal investigation relating to the assassination of Kinnear was being conducted by the Hawks.