The Law Society of the Northern Provinces has been granted permission to inspect all accounting records of Polokwane attorney Tumi Mokwena, following complaints of misconduct.

News24 reports that Mokwena failed to lodge a petition within the stipulated time to the Judge President of the SCA for reconsideration and variation of the dismissal of his appeal against a Limpopo High Court order. The High Court had earlier issued an order for the Law Society to inspect all his accounting records and files belonging to his law firm.

The matter has its origin in the complaint lodged with the Law Society by a member of the Bjatladi Communal Property Association (BCPA), which is the beneficiary of the Zebediela Citrus Estate through the land reform programme.

The complaint involves a R10m deposit into the trust account of Mokwena, who is best known for previously representing EFF leader Julius Malema, on behalf of the BCPA.

The money has not been accounted for.

A company known as Exotic Fruit Company allegedly also deposited more than R28m through several payments into his trust account. However, the money did not trickle down to the BCPA and it remains unaccounted for.

Mokwena was at the time running the affairs of Zebediela Citrus Estate on behalf of the beneficiaries.

Mahlangu Attorneys also complained to the Law Society about a R150,000 deposit made into Mokwena's account, and there has been no accounting. The latest development comes at a time when Mokwena is fighting a High Court application for his law firm's liquidation brought by businessman Sthembiso Bethuel Bosch, a trustee of Majola Trust, who claims he deposited R1.5m and a further R150 000 into Mokwena's trust account for the purchase of a property.

Bosch claims the purchase did not happen.

The matter was postponed in the Limpopo High Court.

Full News24 report