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The fake lawyer was rearrested after his sentencing for another fraud case in Gauteng.
Picture: iStock
A 32-year-old man has been ordered to pay back money he received unlawfully from a client while posing as a lawyer back in 2019.
On Thursday, the Bethal Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga instructed Doctor Sobetha to pay back R40 000 he received from a client that he tried to conduct a bail application for.
Four-year sentence
Sobetha has been ordered to pay the client – who was charged with murder – R3 000 in monthly instalments until the last cent is paid up.
According to the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (Hawks), the order to pay back the money was made in addition to a sentence of four years behind bars, with the option to pay a R20 000 fine.
This was after the bogus lawyer pleaded guilty to the charges.
“Two years of his four-year imprisonment were suspended for five years on condition that he is not found guilty of a similar offence,” Hawks regional spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi said.
Sobetha arrested in court
The bogus lawyer was arrested after a state prosecutor found fault in his arguments during court proceedings.
Sobetha was then asked to prove that he was a legal practitioner before the court, but failed to do so.
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He was arrested by members of the Secunda-based Serious Organised Crime investigation unit who were in attendance.
Hawks nab bogus lawyer in KZN
“The matter was referred to the Hawks Secunda-based Serious Commercial Crime investigation unit for further investigation. The suspect, Sobetha, was granted bail in 2024 and never set foot in court again,” Nkosi said.
“Investigation led members of the Hawks’ tactical operations management system to Durban, where the suspect was arrested on 22 May 2025.”
Sobetha was brought back to Mpumalanga, where he first appeared in the Bethal Magistrate’s Court on 30 May.
Sobetha rearrested after sentencing
He was rearrested immediately after sentencing on Thursday for a fraud case in Moroka, Gauteng, dating back to 2023.
He is now in police custody in Gauteng.
Hawks provincial head Major General Nico Gerber warned people to only consult with registered legal advisers.
“It is concerning if people are defrauded by people like Sobetha whose formal education does not even go beyond high school level,” Gerber said.
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