Cape Town – A 31-year-old man who impersonated a lawyer and was bust while representing a murder accused, appeared in the Bethal Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga on Wednesday.
Doctor Sobetha is charged with impersonating an attorney.
According to the provincial spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), Captain Sekgotodi Dineo, Sobetha was arrested after he was found representing a suspect in a criminal matter.
“He represented Mhlabuyaxega Mntungwa, 37, who was previously circulated as wanted for the murder of a former manager of Sam Holdings, 34-year-old Nkosinathi Emmanuel Ngcongo who was fatally wounded on September 12, 2019.
“Information was received that Ngcongo was shot by two suspects who sped off after the shooting and later Phindokuhle Eugene Nkosi, 30, who was the driver of the van used on the day in question, was traced and arrested by Bethal SAPS members,” Dineo said.
Nkosi was convicted on the murder charge on October 20, 2020 in the High Court sitting in Delmas and is serving a 25-year imprisonment sentence.
Dineo said a warrant of arrest was issued for Mntungwa and he was apprehended on February 1, by the KwaZulu-Natal provincial tracking team.
During his court appearance, the Hawks latched on to Sobetha who they found was a bogus lawyer.
“He was represented by his fake attorney who was arrested by the Hawks Secunda Serious Organised Crime Investigation and Secunda Serious Commercial Crime Investigation for impersonating an attorney,” Dineo said.
On Wednesday, Mntungwa appeared on the murder charge.
His matter has been postponed until May 2, for the continuation of his bail application.
Sobetha who appeared at the same court is also expected back in court on May 3.
The matter against Sobetha will be transferred to the regional court.
Both suspects remain in custody.