- A Mpumalanga attorney has been arrested for fraud and theft after allegedly stealing R1.8 million that the Road Accident Fund paid out to her client.
- Mantladi Jo-Anne Mmela allegedly transferred the money to another account and fled to Gauteng.
- She was released on R25 000 bail with a condition to hand over her passport.
A Mpumalanga attorney, who allegedly fled to Gauteng after she was asked about a client's Road Accident Fund's money, has been arrested for fraud and theft.
Mantladi Jo-Anne Mmela, 41, appeared in the Middelburg Magistrate's Court on Wednesday. She is accused of pocketing R1.8 million that had been paid out to the client.
Mpumalanga Hawks spokesperson, Captain Dineo Sekgotodi said:
The funds were paid into Mmela and Associates Inc's trust account in May, but not handed over to the client, Sekgotodi added.
When the client queried the outcome of his claim, Mmela allegedly fled to Gauteng.
"During the investigation, it was revealed that the attorney transferred the money into another bank account. A warrant of arrest was authorised and executed, hence her arrest from her hiding place in Pretoria," Sekgotodi said.
The Middelburg-based Hawks team arrested the attorney on Tuesday.
After her court appearance, she was released on R25 000 bail with a condition to hand over her passport. The case was postponed to 5 December.
More arrests are expected, according to Sekgotodi.