Latest news with #FidelityFund
The Herald
2 days ago
- The Herald
Former attorney accused of theft, fraud released on R10,000 bail
Former attorney Catherine Wilheminah Papenfus appeared in the Johannesburg specialised commercial crimes court on Thursday on theft and fraud charges. Papenfus, 54, was arrested in Hermanus in the Western Cape on Saturday and was released on bail of R10,000. Between September 2010 and July 2013, Papenfus, who was an admitted attorney and conveyancer, allegedly received instructions from clients for legal assistance. 'The clients, intending to purchase properties, paid money into the attorney's trust account,' Hawks spokesperson W/O Thatohatsi Mavimbela said. 'However the suspect failed to pay the sellers and did not refund the clients.' When the clients failed to trace the attorney they lodged complaints with the Fidelity Fund for a refund and Papenfus was struck off the roll of attorneys. Her case was postponed to September 16. TimesLIVE
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- TimesLIVE
Former attorney accused of theft, fraud released on R10,000 bail
Former attorney Catherine Wilheminah Papenfus appeared in the Johannesburg specialised commercial crimes court on Thursday on theft and fraud charges. Papenfus, 54, was arrested in Hermanus in the Western Cape on Saturday and was released on bail of R10,000. Between September 2010 and July 2013, Papenfus, who was an admitted attorney and conveyancer, allegedly received instructions from clients for legal assistance. 'The clients, intending to purchase properties, paid money into the attorney's trust account,' Hawks spokesperson W/O Thatohatsi Mavimbela said. 'However the suspect failed to pay the sellers and did not refund the clients.' When the clients failed to trace the attorney they lodged complaints with the Fidelity Fund for a refund and Papenfus was struck off the roll of attorneys. Her case was postponed to September 16.
TimesLIVE
21-07-2025
- TimesLIVE
Six years in jail for bogus attorney
Johannes Teboho Motse, who posed as a legal practitioner and unlawfully represented unsuspecting clients in various courts between February and November 2022, has been sentenced to six years in jail. The Rustenburg specialised commercial crimes court convicted Motse, 43, of multiple charges of fraud, theft, forgery and uttering. 'He forged critical legal documents, including a right of appearance certificate, a Fidelity Fund certificate and an admission certificate, to deceive his victims,' National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Sivenathi Gunya said on Monday. One of the complainants paid Motse R15,000 to prosecute an appeal. After receiving no legal service, the client reported the matter to the police. Investigations revealed that Motse was not registered with the Legal Practice Council. Motse pleaded guilty to all charges. 'In aggravation of sentence, state advocate Matshidiso Ramakgaphola highlighted the prevalence of such crimes in the court's jurisdiction and emphasised that the offences were premeditated and meticulously executed.' The court sentenced Motse to six years for fraud, forgery and uttering. On the charge of theft, he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years on condition that he repays the complainant R15,000 by August 31.
Eyewitness News
26-05-2025
- Eyewitness News
Senzo Meyiwa trial: Witness grilled on glitch in system of LPC's Fidelity Fund
JOHANNESBURG - A glitch in the systems of the legal practitioners' Fidelity Fund took centre stage at the Senzo Meyiwa trial on Monday. The court heard evidence on the credentials of a lawyer who is linked to one of the accused, Bongani Ntanzi. According to the State, Ntanzi was legally represented by a lawyer named Dominic Mjiyako when he signed a confession statement before a magistrate at the Boksburg court in June 2020. On the witness stand on Monday was Khulani Sambo, an officer from the Legal Practice Council (LPC), who confirmed Mjiyako's credentials. Sambo's testimony confirmed that Advocate Dominic Mjiyako was registered as an attorney when he allegedly represented Ntanzi when he wrote and signed a statement confessing to the murder of Senzo Meyiwa. But Sambo also revealed that in 2020, through a complaint, that he became aware of a systems glitch that resulted in Mjiyako sharing a Fidelity Fund certificate number with another lawyer. Sambo said that a unique number was usually issued to each legal practitioner. This is where the defence centred its cross-examination on Monday, with Ntanzi's lawyer Sipho Ramosepele questioning Sambo on this glitch. "Have you ever heard of where practitioners collude with certain staff members from the LPC and those practitioners obtain FFC fraudulently?" Ramosepele asked. Sambo: "Not to my knowledge, no." While Ramosepele and his colleague, Advocate Charles Mnisi, questioned Sambo on instances of alleged corruption and fraud at the Legal Practice Council, none of them were linked to Mjiyako.
