A former attorney has been convicted on four counts of theft by the Mpumalanga Specialised Commercial Crimes Court after defrauding clients of their Road Accident Fund (RAF) claims.
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PexelsAccording to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mantladi Jo-Anne Mmela, committed the crimes when she was practising as a sole practitioner between June 2019 and March 2022.
“The accused lodged claims against the Road Accident Fund on behalf of her clients, which were subsequently paid out. The money was paid by the Road Accident Fund into the trust account of Mmela Incorporated Attorneys for the benefit of her clients, totalling an amount of over R4.1m.
“The incident came to light after one of the victims reported that Mmela failed to pay her. An investigation ensued and led to the arrest of the accused in 2022,” the NPA said in a statement.
Mmela was subsequently granted bail. However, after absconding, she was re-arrested and remained in custody.
“During trial, the accused pleaded not guilty, and Senior State Advocate Henry Nxumalo presented evidence of the witnesses to prove the allegations levelled against her. The accused was convicted on four counts of theft, and the matter was postponed to 21 August 2025 for sentencing in the same court.
“The National Prosecuting Authority welcomes the conviction as a significant step in the fight against the theft of trust monies by attorneys as breach of trust, more so the victims of motor vehicle accidents. The collaboration against fighting such crimes yielded positive results in this matter.
“The NPA remains committed to fighting financial crimes and ensuring that those who deprive claimants of their monies are prosecuted,” the NPA said.
