RAF payout stolen: Attorney convicted of R4m theft

The Mpumalanga Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Middelburg this week convicted a former attorney on four counts of theft.

Mantladi Jo-Anne Mmela (43) was practicing as a sole practitioner for Mmela Attorneys when the crime was committed, between June 2019 and March 2022.

The court heard that Mmela lodged claims against the Road Accident Fund (RAF) on behalf of her clients, which were subsequently paid out.

The money was paid by the RAF into the trust account of Mmela Incorporated Attorneys for the benefit of her clients, amounting to more than R4.1-million.

The incident came to light after one of the victims reported that Mmela had failed to pay her.

An investigation ensued and led to Mmela’s arrest in 2022. She was granted bail and absconded, resulting in a warrant of arrest being issued.

She was rearrested in February 2024 and has been in custody since. She pleaded not guilty during the trial.

Senior State Advocate Henry Nxumalo presented the witnesses’ evidence to prove the allegations levelled against her.

Mmela was subsequently found guilty and convicted on four counts of theft. The matter was postponed to 21 August for sentencing.

Don’t have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here:

HAVE YOUR SAY