A 47-year-old practicing attorney is set to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on June 26 on charges of fraud, theft, money laundering, and contravention of the Attorneys Act.
This after the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit served her with a summons on June 11. The move was following a probe into alleged financial misconduct.
Authorities allege that between January 2015 and July 2017, the attorney was entrusted with managing a complainant’s estate. She received approximately R6-million in cash.
Allegedly pocketed victim’s trust money
Instead of depositing the funds into a trust account as required, she allegedly kept the money in her personal account, leading to a loss of R3.4-million for the complainant.
Further investigations revealed she was practicing without a mandatory fidelity fund certificate.
Warrant Officer Fikiswa Matoti, Hawks spokesperson, said the suspect’s actions betrayed the trust of her client. It also undermined the integrity of the legal profession. “Our investigation was thorough, and we are confident in the case presented,” said Matoti.
A criminal case was opened, and the docket was handed to the Hawks, culminating in the attorney’s summons.
“This case sends a strong message that financial crimes will face serious consequences,” Matoti added.
The attorney’s court appearance is expected to draw attention as the community awaits further details in this high-profile case.
Meanwhile, a bogus lawyer was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment with the option of paying a R20,000 fine by the Bethal Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga last week.
Bogus lawyer convicted
The court charged Doctor Sobetha, 32, with impersonating a lawyer. This after he devised a scam in which he received R40 000 from his “client”.
Mpumalanga Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi confirmed this to Sunday World.
In 2019, according to Nkosi, Sobetha pretended to be a lawyer. He attempted to file a bail application on behalf of his murder-charged client.
“According to information, the state prosecutor could pick up from his [Sobetha’s] arguments that something is not adding up,” said Nkosi.
READ MORE: Bogus lawyer sentenced to four years in jail with option to pay R20K fine
