WESTERN CAPE – A 69-year-old former attorney will be making his first court appearance in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Bellville this morning to face five charges of fraud and theft.
The Hawks Serious Commercial Crimes investigation team served a 69 year-old attorney with court summons for fraud worth over R1.4 million on yesterday.
The attorney is reported to have been contracted as a transfer attorney for various properties on behalf of his client, rendering conveyancing services. It is alleged that between June 2008 to July 2009, the suspect transferred huge sum of money belonging to his client into his personal trust fund account and later closed his practise in August 2009 without paying the money back to the client.
It is further alleged that the he misappropriated the funds for personal gain. He was subsequently struck off the roll of attorneys.