The high court in Johannesburg has struck Hassan Ebrahim Kajee off the roll of advocates, a judgment welcomed by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
The SIU had referred Kajee to the Johannesburg Society of Advocates for inflating invoices, invoicing for services not rendered, and overcharging for services allegedly rendered to the office of the state attorney.
The high court ruling also ordered Kajee to pay the legal costs that the Johannesburg Society of Advocates incurred for the application.
In April, Kajee was released on R20 000 bail for numerous fraud charges. He was appointed by the office of state attorney to represent the state on behalf of various state institutions.
In line with the SIU and Special Tribunals Act 74 of 1996, the SIU referred evidence pointing to criminal conduct to the National Prosecuting Authority for further action, which led to the arrest of Kajee.
During this time, the SIU was pursuing a civil case against him to recover about R27-million for damages the state suffered due to alleged corrupt and collusive relationship between the former head of the office of the state attorney in Johannesburg, Gustav Lekabe, and Kajee.
“Lekabe is alleged to have briefed advocate Kajee as counsel for the state in a plethora of matters in which the applicant was charged for legal fees not actually rendered, doubled-charged for similar work done in a specific matter, and double-invoiced the office of the state attorney,” reads the court ruling.
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