Bogus lawyer jailed for six years
Johannes Motse, who posed as a legal practitioner and unlawfully represented unsuspecting clients in various courts between February and November 2022, has been sentenced to six years in jail, reports TimesLIVE.
The Rustenburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court convicted Motse of multiple charges of fraud, theft, forgery and uttering.
‘He forged critical legal documents, including a right of appearance certificate, a Fidelity Fund certificate and an admission certificate, to deceive his victims,’ said NPA spokesperson Sivenathi Gunya.
One of the complainants paid Motse R15 000 to apply for an appeal. After receiving no legal service, the client reported the matter to the police. Investigations revealed that Motse was not registered with the Legal Practice Council.
Motse pleaded guilty to all charges.
‘In aggravation of sentence, state advocate Matshidiso Ramakgaphola highlighted the prevalence of such crimes in the court’s jurisdiction and emphasised that the offences were premeditated and meticulously executed.’
The court sentenced Motse to six years for fraud, forgery and uttering.
On the charge of theft, he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years on condition that he repays the complainant R15 000 by 31 August.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
