Hemi300c
Honorary Master
RAF is defrauded of R6m
January 20 2012 at 10:10am
By Yolande du Preez, Zelda Venter and Sapa
jan 20 Scales Gavel
.
Three city lawyers alleged to have defrauded the Road Accident Fund (RAF) of more than R6 million have briefly appeared in the Pretoria Regional Court.
Mahlolane Paulina Phooko, Derrick Sello Selahle and Mahodiela Rodney Ramafalo face 54 counts of fraud after handing themselves over to police at the Pretoria Central police station following an investigation by the Gauteng Commercial Crimes Unit.
They and three other people, one of them a doctor, are alleged to have defrauded the fund by making false claims.
The RAF opened cases of fraud against them in July after it was alleged that third party claims lodged after an accident were referred to the same doctor, who in some instances apparently provided medical certificates for claimants he had not physically examined. In some cases the claimants had allegedly not been involved in an accident.
The trio were released on bail of R10 000 each and are to appear in court again on March 6.
Earlier this week, three other alleged accomplices, a lawyer whose name has been given only as Mr Molefe, a doctor identified only as Dr Moshweu and an acting agent appeared in the regional court.
Molefe and Moshweu were granted bail of R10 000 and the agent R1 500.
Two more arrests followed on Wednesday. The lawyers, known only as Mr Mabena and Mr Matamo, were granted bail of R10 000 each after a court appearance. It is alleged that the lawyers, the doctor and the agent were lodging claims on behalf of clients.
President of the Law Society of the Northern Provinces, Jan van Rensburg, said they would investigate whether there was any wrongdoing on the part of their members and if so, the society would act accordingly.
“We will obtain the facts from the police and from the RAF and we will investigate whether these people are fit and proper to practise as attorneys. If we find that they have transgressed the rules of the society, we will apply to have them struck from the roll.”
Van Rensburg said he couldn’t comment on the case relating to these specific attorneys as he did not have the facts yet.
He could, however, say that the Law Society had not received any complaints from the public or the RAF against Phooko, Selahle or Ramafalo.
According to the society’s records, Phooko is a candidate attorney.
Van Rensburg said there had been some complaints in the past against Selahle, which included a matter relating to a third party claim, but this had been concluded in 2003.
Although he could not comment on these cases, there had been problems for some time pertaining to third party fraud matters, he said.
According to Van Rensburg, it is unlikely that attorneys alone could commit fraud in these matters, as there a number of roleplayers are involved.
For example, an accident report must be obtained, which would mean that in cases of bogus claims, someone in the police would have to be involved. The same relates to medical reports, where staff at a hospital must be involved. - Pretoria News
They should get a min of 10yrs and lose their respective licenses for ever................
January 20 2012 at 10:10am
By Yolande du Preez, Zelda Venter and Sapa
jan 20 Scales Gavel
.
Three city lawyers alleged to have defrauded the Road Accident Fund (RAF) of more than R6 million have briefly appeared in the Pretoria Regional Court.
Mahlolane Paulina Phooko, Derrick Sello Selahle and Mahodiela Rodney Ramafalo face 54 counts of fraud after handing themselves over to police at the Pretoria Central police station following an investigation by the Gauteng Commercial Crimes Unit.
They and three other people, one of them a doctor, are alleged to have defrauded the fund by making false claims.
The RAF opened cases of fraud against them in July after it was alleged that third party claims lodged after an accident were referred to the same doctor, who in some instances apparently provided medical certificates for claimants he had not physically examined. In some cases the claimants had allegedly not been involved in an accident.
The trio were released on bail of R10 000 each and are to appear in court again on March 6.
Earlier this week, three other alleged accomplices, a lawyer whose name has been given only as Mr Molefe, a doctor identified only as Dr Moshweu and an acting agent appeared in the regional court.
Molefe and Moshweu were granted bail of R10 000 and the agent R1 500.
Two more arrests followed on Wednesday. The lawyers, known only as Mr Mabena and Mr Matamo, were granted bail of R10 000 each after a court appearance. It is alleged that the lawyers, the doctor and the agent were lodging claims on behalf of clients.
President of the Law Society of the Northern Provinces, Jan van Rensburg, said they would investigate whether there was any wrongdoing on the part of their members and if so, the society would act accordingly.
“We will obtain the facts from the police and from the RAF and we will investigate whether these people are fit and proper to practise as attorneys. If we find that they have transgressed the rules of the society, we will apply to have them struck from the roll.”
Van Rensburg said he couldn’t comment on the case relating to these specific attorneys as he did not have the facts yet.
He could, however, say that the Law Society had not received any complaints from the public or the RAF against Phooko, Selahle or Ramafalo.
According to the society’s records, Phooko is a candidate attorney.
Van Rensburg said there had been some complaints in the past against Selahle, which included a matter relating to a third party claim, but this had been concluded in 2003.
Although he could not comment on these cases, there had been problems for some time pertaining to third party fraud matters, he said.
According to Van Rensburg, it is unlikely that attorneys alone could commit fraud in these matters, as there a number of roleplayers are involved.
For example, an accident report must be obtained, which would mean that in cases of bogus claims, someone in the police would have to be involved. The same relates to medical reports, where staff at a hospital must be involved. - Pretoria News
They should get a min of 10yrs and lose their respective licenses for ever................
