Pretoria – The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on Monday said a former candidate attorney at Malabye Mthembu Attorneys and Partners, 32-year-old Onga Ntozini has been summoned to appear in the Pretoria Specialized Commercial Crimes Court on two counts of theft.
“It is alleged that Ntozini, stole from the law firm by swindling money from the law firm’s trust fund to his account,” said North Gauteng regional spokesperson for the director of public prosecutions, Lumka Mahanjana.
“Between November and December 2020, it is alleged that he stole approximately R3.8 million. The matter has been postponed to 20 April 2022, for disclosure of the contents docket.”
Last month, Meshack Mfana who worked at Ndobela Attorneys, was ordered to pay back the amount of R41 000 within 90 days and sentenced to three years in prison by the Sasolburg Regional Court which found Mfana guilty of theft.
The charges emanated from an incident which took place in January 2016 when Mfana instituted a civil claim against the State for unlawful arrest of his client.
“The State then paid the amount of R60 000 to the trust account of Ndobela Attorneys and the client never received the money.
“The matter was then reported to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team based in Bloemfontein. Mfana was issued with summons in June 2019,” Captain Christopher Singo said.
Singo said Mfana was ordered to pay back the amount of R41 000 within 90 days.
“He was also sentenced to three years’ direct imprisonment wholly suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence during the period of suspension.”
In a similar matter, a 55-year-old bookkeeper at a law firm was last month convicted of Road Accident Fund fraud.
IOL