Rustenburg - A former Rustenburg attorney accused of stealing about R700 000 from the Road Accident Fund (RAF) claimants, appeared briefly in the Rustenburg Magistrate's Court on Monday.
The case against Betty Diale was postponed to October 14, for mediation proposals.
"She is out on a warning and has been cautioned not to interfere with the state witnesses. Diale’s defence attorney indicated to the court, that they intend to provide the state with mediation proposals to settle the matter.
"The state did not oppose the postponement and will study the proposals for consideration. Diale is facing six charges of theft, amounting to approximately R700 000, allegedly stolen from the Road Accident Fund claimants," said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in North West division, Henry Mamothame.
He said police reports reveal that Fidelity Funds, a body that oversees the conduct of attorneys, received several complaints from the RAF claimants, whose payments were deposited into Diale's trust account.
"The claimants alleged that the said money did not reach them, after the payout and henceforth, reported to the police for investigation. Diale was practising as an attorney, during the alleged commission of the crimes between 2009 and 2011, and was subsequently charged with six counts of theft in June 2021."
He said the Legal Practice Council has struck her off the roll, preventing her from practising as an attorney.
IOL