Cape Town - The Legal Practice Council (LPC) said it was investigating the case against Lennox Pupa, an on-duty lawyer who was arrested after he was allegedly found to be in possession of drugs at the Bellville Regional Court.
Pupa, 39, of Pupa Attorneys in Litha Park, Khayelitsha, appeared in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court yesterday after he was caught last Wednesday in possession of drugs ostensibly meant for an accused he was representing.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said Pupa, who is a father of two, was granted bail of R3 000 on condition that he signs in at the Lingelethu West police station on Fridays between 8am and 8pm.
Ntabazalila said the case was postponed to December 2 for further investigation. Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said the vigilance of a Bellville court orderly led to the arrest of Pupa.
Traut said the court orderly was on duty at the Bellville Regional Court when he noticed Pupa with a green plastic bag, which drew his attention.
He said during the court proceedings Pupa was excused by the presiding magistrate due to the suspicion that he was intoxicated.
“As he left the court, the court orderly followed him and conducted a search which resulted in the discovery of 200 mandrax tablets and tik to the combined street value of R9 600 found in the green plastic bag he was carrying with him,” said Traut. He was then arrested.
LPC spokesperson Sthembiso Mnisi said: “The code of conduct and the rules in terms of the LPC are straight-forward, and the ethics that are expected from the practitioners when practising. We have warned against such behaviour.”
Mnisi said they were mandated to set norms and standards to provide for the admission and enrolment of legal practitioners and to regulate the professional conduct of legal practitioners to ensure accountability.
“Hence, we will be taking this matter up to the investigating unit to find out what led to this practitioner committing these allegations,” he said.
SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco) provincial chairperson Bongikhaya Qhama said lawyers were custodians of the justice system and communities expected better.
Qhama said the matter should be extensively investigated to leave no stone unturned in bringing the involved person to book.
“We call on the law society to deal with the conduct harshly,” he said, as he congratulated the police for the job well done apprehending “bad apples” that seek to undermine the hard-earned democracy.
“We hope and trust that the court will work hand-in-hand with our communities in exposing the bad elements and the corrupt within our justice system,” said Qhama.