Darmanovic wanted to target individual linked to alleged crimes in province

SA intelligence agent murdered in Serbia was probing Cape underworld

7 May 2018

State security contract agent George Darmanovic, murdered in Serbia on Sunday, was apparently preparing to try and take down some of South Africa's most high profile figures allegedly linked to the underworld.

News24 has reliably learned that he specifically wanted to target an individual whose name has repeatedly been linked to alleged crimes relating to the underworld in Cape Town, and who may have links to other figures in other provinces.

Documents linked to underworld

Darmanovic appeared to have had documents, with government letterheads, some of which News24 has seen, which detail information relating to the underworld, as well as acknowledging his role in certain investigations.

In Cape Town, over more than a year, underworld activities have been linked by police to the nightclub security industry and a takeover of these operations which resulted in several shootings and murders.

Darmanovic, whose full name according to Serbian media is Gorgija Gorg Darmanovic, and who was known locally as George Darmanovich, a contract agent for South Africa’s State Security Agency, was gunned down in Belgrade, Serbia, on Sunday.

He died in hospital.

The news broke via media in Serbia on Sunday, where it was reported that two men behind the shooting had left the scene on a scooter. It is not clear why he was killed.

It is understood Darmanovic had peddled information and allegations, relating to politics and crime, to several well-placed individuals in this country.

Some of this information had then been passed on to journalists.

News24 has seen information to suggest he planned to try and help investigations into the local underworld figure in July this year.

It is also understood, based on other information seen in January, that he was aware of developments in underworld ructions relating to Cape Town in particular.

Darmanovic in touch with Modack

Darmanovic had been in contact with suspected underworld kingpin Nafiz Modack who is facing an extortion charge in Cape Town.

In January, in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court, during Modack’s bail application in this case, Charl Kinnear, a police colonel who is investigating fights in clubs, testified: "The person Modack phoned in Serbia is the same person who gave information for the first few chapters of The President's Keepers .”

He was referring to Darmanovich as being a source in author Jacques Pauw’s critically acclaimed book.

Part of a recorded conversation Modack had, apparently with Darmanovic, had also been played during this bail application. The application was heard between mid-December 2017 and the end of February 2018.

Modack and three other accused were each granted R10 000 bail. A fifth accused was granted R5 000 bail.

Modack is accused in the case, along with Colin Booysen – the brother of alleged Sexy Boys gang boss Jerome Booysen – Jacques Cronje, Ashley Fields and Carl Lakay. They face extortion charges relating to nightclub security.

The group is expected back in the Cape Town Regional Court for this case at the end of May.

News24