Latest news with #Sobetha
IOL News
2 days ago
- IOL News
Man sentenced to four years for impersonating attorney and defrauding client
Doctor Sobetha has been sentenced for impersonating an attorney. The Bethal Magistrate's Court in Mpumalanga has sentenced a 32-year-old man to four years in prison for impersonating a lawyer and defrauding a client of R40,000. The sentence, which was handed down on Thursday, includes an option for Doctor Sobetha to pay a fine of R20,000. Provincial spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Magonseni Nkosi, detailed how Sobetha had perpetrated this scam back in 2019, when he attempted to file a bail application on behalf of a client facing murder charges. During the court proceedings at that time, Nkosi noted that the state prosecutor quickly became suspicious of Sobetha's arguments. He was requested to prove before the court that indeed he was a legal practitioner but failed to produce such proof. "The Secunda based Serious Organised Crime Investigation members that were in court attended and an arrest was affected. The matter was referred to the Hawks Secunda based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation for further investigation," said Nkosi. Sobetha was granted bail in 2024, and then went on the run.
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
Man caught for impersonating a lawyer in Bethal, must pay back the money
Man caught for impersonating a lawyer in Bethal, must pay back the money A bogus lawyer was instructed yesterday (June 5) to pay back R40 000 that he took from a client in Bethal in 2019. Doctor Sobetha (32) who impersonated a lawyer trying to conduct a bail application for his client charged with murder, pleaded guilty in the Bethal Magistrate's Court. was sentenced to four years imprisonment with an option to pay R20 000 fine. Two of the four years were was suspended for five years on condition that he is not found guilty of a similar offense. The Mpumalanga spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), Lieutenant-Colonel Magonseni Nkosi, said the court further ordered Sobetha to pay back R40 000 that was unlawfully received from his client. He is expected to pay back the money in monthly instalments of R3 000 until the last cent is paid up. Sobetha was caught out in 2019 when the state prosecutor in the high-profile murder case picked up from his arguments that something was off. Sobetha could not provide proof when asked before court if he was indeed a legal practitioner. The Secunda based Serious Organised Crime Investigation members who were in court for the pending murder case, arrested Sobetha. The matter was referred to the Hawks Secunda-based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation for further investigation. Sobetha fled when he was granted bail in 2024. 'Investigation led members of the Hawks' Tactical Operations Management System (TOMS) to Durban, where Sobetha was arrested on May 22. 'He was brought back to Mpumalanga, where he appeared before Bethal Magistrate's Court on May 30,' said Nkosi. The case was postponed to yesterday. Nkosi said immediately after his sentence was handed down, Sobetha was rearrested for fraud committed in Moroka, Gauteng, in 2023. The Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation Major General Nico Gerber warned people to consult with registered legal advisors. 'It is concerning if people are defrauded by people like Sobetha whose formal education does not even go beyond high school level,' concluded the General. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
Fake lawyer sentenced in Bethal court, immediately rearrested for fraud
The Bethal Magistrate's Court sentenced a man to four years' imprisonment or a fine of R20 000 for impersonating a lawyer in court. Ironically, while Doctor Sobetha (32) was still in court after being sentenced yesterday, June 5, he was arrested again for fraud that he allegedly committed in Moroka, Gauteng, in 2023. Following his sentence, the court ordered Sobetha to pay back the money amounting to R40 000 that he had charged his client in 2019, payable in instalments of R3 000 per month. The client was facing a murder charge and Sobetha represented him during his bail application. The state prosecutor could pick up from Sobetha's arguments that something was not adding up. He was requested to provide proof in court that he was indeed a legal practitioner but failed to do so,' said the Mpumalanga Hawks' spokesperson, Colonel Magonseni Nkosi. Nkosi said the Secunda-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation members that were in court immediately arrested him after which the matter was referred to the Serious Commercial Crime Investigation for further inquiry. He said Sobetha was granted bail in 2024 and absconded, resulting in a warrant of arrest being authorised against him. 'An investigation led members of the Hawks' Tactical Operations Management System to Durban, where the suspect was arrested on May 22 this year,' said Nkosi. ALSO READ: Skukuza Regional Court sentences poacher to 14 years in jail He was brought back to Mpumalanga, where he appeared before the Bethal Magistrate's Court on Friday, May 30. The matter was postponed and Sobethu was remanded in custody until he appeared in the same court again yesterday. He pleaded guilty and the court sentenced immediately. Two of his four-year sentence was suspended for five years on the condition that he is not found guilty of a similar offence during that period. The Mpumalanga head of the Hawks, Major General Nico Gerber, warned people to consult with registered legal advisers. 'It is concerning if people are defrauded by people like Sobetha whose formal education does not even go beyond high school level,' concluded Gerber. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
Bogus lawyer ordered to pay back murder accused client's R40k
The fake lawyer was rearrested after his sentencing for another fraud case in Gauteng. A 32-year-old man has been ordered to pay back money he received unlawfully from a client while posing as a lawyer back in 2019. On Thursday, the Bethal Magistrate's Court in Mpumalanga instructed Doctor Sobetha to pay back R40 000 he received from a client that he tried to conduct a bail application for. Four-year sentence Sobetha has been ordered to pay the client – who was charged with murder – R3 000 in monthly instalments until the last cent is paid up. According to the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (Hawks), the order to pay back the money was made in addition to a sentence of four years behind bars, with the option to pay a R20 000 fine. This was after the bogus lawyer pleaded guilty to the charges. 'Two years of his four-year imprisonment were suspended for five years on condition that he is not found guilty of a similar offence,' Hawks regional spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi said. Sobetha arrested in court The bogus lawyer was arrested after a state prosecutor found fault in his arguments during court proceedings. Sobetha was then asked to prove that he was a legal practitioner before the court, but failed to do so. ALSO READ: Bogus doctor bust in Havenside sting operation He was arrested by members of the Secunda-based Serious Organised Crime investigation unit who were in attendance. Hawks nab bogus lawyer in KZN 'The matter was referred to the Hawks Secunda-based Serious Commercial Crime investigation unit for further investigation. The suspect, Sobetha, was granted bail in 2024 and never set foot in court again,' Nkosi said. 'Investigation led members of the Hawks' tactical operations management system to Durban, where the suspect was arrested on 22 May 2025.' Sobetha was brought back to Mpumalanga, where he first appeared in the Bethal Magistrate's Court on 30 May. Sobetha rearrested after sentencing He was rearrested immediately after sentencing on Thursday for a fraud case in Moroka, Gauteng, dating back to 2023. He is now in police custody in Gauteng. Hawks provincial head Major General Nico Gerber warned people to only consult with registered legal advisers. 'It is concerning if people are defrauded by people like Sobetha whose formal education does not even go beyond high school level,' Gerber said. NOW READ: Hawks investigating Peet and Melany Viljoen for fraud with Tammy Taylor franchises
