KZN attorney charged with fraud

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Published Jun 13, 2014

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Durban - A Chatsworth attorney, who is being investigated by the KwaZulu-Natal Law Society, has been charged with fraud.

Daniel Vengtas, 42, was arrested last week and granted bail of R10 000 in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on June 5.

The case was adjourned for further investigations.

The Mercury understands that another arrest in the case could be made soon.

According to the charge sheet, it is alleged that Vengtas made false representations regarding the sale of a property he claimed he was handling as part of a deceased estate.

The complainant who laid the charge against Vengtas alleged that he paid about R380 000 for the property, but later found out that it was not for sale.

The law society has also brought an application in the Pietermaritzburg High Court to have Vengtas struck from the roll.

The application, which was first placed on the court roll in November last year, was brought after clients alleged they had lost their money in alleged fake property deals.

The Sunday Times reported earlier this month that the law society said it had received three complaints against Vengtas relating to the “sale or transfer of immovable properties, the raising of finance and matters related”.

According to court papers, Revisha Singh, the law society’s acting manager of regulatory affairs, said a decision was taken to have Vengtas barred after the investigation found “trust account irregularities”.

The society said there was civil litigation and a criminal probe pending against Vengtas regarding the complaints.

Vengtas is opposing the application and denies that he did anything wrong.

He claims that the committee set up to investigate the complaints against him was unlawful and had no authority.

He also said he needed files, which were seized during the investigation, to be able to respond to the allegations against him.

The high court application was adjourned to later this year.

Vengtas is expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court next month.

The Mercury

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