Cape Town - An attorney facing two counts of fraud, one of theft and one involving a violation of the Attorneys Act, appeared in a court in Cape Town on Tuesday.
Anthony Peter Reynolds, 52, of Airlie Place, Constantia in Cape Town’s southern suburbs, appeared in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crime Court, before magistrate Sabrina Sonnenberg.
According to the charge sheet, he was arrested in August 2011, and initially appeared before magistrate Amrith Chabilall.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, he was warned to appear in court again on October 12.
According to the charge sheet, he was admitted to practice as an attorney in 1995, and became a professional assistant in the employ of the firm Heyns and Partners Inc, before starting his own practice as Roup Reynolds and Associates.
On the theft charge, prosecutor Juan Agulhas alleged that he stole R6 million held in his trust account, in the four years from January 2006 to December 2010.
On two fraud counts, he is alleged to have falsely informed a client that two cheques from his trust account, for R1,5 million and R600 000 were good, when in fact they “bounced”.
On the third fraud charge, it is alleged that he borrowed R2 million, and falsely informed the lender that his home, offered as security, was his own, when in fact it belonged to his mother, and that it was unencumbered, when in fact it was not.
On the count involving the Attorneys Act, it is alleged that he failed to keep proper accounting records pertaining to monies received, held or paid by him for or on account of any person.
ANA