At least two staff members of the Legal Practice Council (LPC) in the Eastern Cape have been placed on precautionary suspension after the lid blew wide open on ‘syndicates and unethical lawyers targeting LPC staff to nullify cases’.

A Daily Dispatch report says the employees worked in the investigation and/or audit departments.

The council said it was dismayed by reports about ‘legal practitioners colluding with its staff to have the investigation of complaints against them compromised and derailed’.

The LPC’s executive officer, Charity Nzuza, commented: ‘These allegations, which are still being investigated, came to light following internal investigations and an intelligence report from the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), which relates to suspicious financial transactions linked to individuals employed by the LPC. Preliminary indications are that the Eastern Cape and Gauteng provincial offices were the main offices targeted. Staff members from these offices have already been placed on suspension, pending the finalisation and outcome of the investigations.’

A FIC report shared with the council raised a number of questions which are now being investigated.

‘So far, it would appear some legal practitioners who were being investigated by the LPC would approach staff members and offer bribes to make cases disappear, or to compromise evidence in an attempt to ensure that the person against whom complaints have been lodged would not be found guilty when matters appear before the independent investigating committees or disciplinary committees,’ Nzuza said.

Full Daily Dispatch report