Durban - The State’s fear that former Pietermaritzburg attorney Sundeep Singh, facing a charge of theft, would flee the country if released on bail was “completely unfounded”, his counsel argued on Thursday.
Defence advocate Martin Krog was cross-examining the police investigating officer, Simphiwe Faye, at Singh’s bail application in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court.
Faye is opposing the application on the grounds that Singh would flee to India.
Faye based this assumption on the fact that in December 1993, Singh fled to India with his family after being struck from the roll of attorneys for unprofessional conduct.
He voluntarily returned to South Africa three months later, pleaded guilty to theft of R249 000 from a deceased estate and was sentenced to correctional supervision. He also had to pay back the money he stole.
Singh re-enrolled as an attorney nine years later.
He was struck from the roll of attorneys for a second time in April this year following an allegation by a client, local widow Radha Govender, that he stole R876 736 - money she was due to receive from the Road Accident Fund.
This allegation forms the basis of the current charge of theft against Singh.
According to Faye’s testimony on Thursday, Singh misappropriated R876 736 in trust money paid to him by the fund in respect of a claim by Govender after her husband died in an accident in 2007.
“The money was transferred into Singh’s trust account in 2009, but he continued to give Govender the run-around every time she asked about the money,” Faye said.
According to Faye, Singh met Govender and her attorney. At the meeting he made a verbal agreement to pay Govender back the money by selling his house.
However, by May he had still not made any attempt to pay her back, which was when she laid the charge of theft against him, the court heard.
The case was adjourned to October 14, when Singh is also expected to testify. He was remanded back to Midlands Medical Hospital where he is under police guard. He is being treated for an inoperable heart condition.
Daily News