A former attorney accused of stealing money amounting to over R3 million from his clients has been granted R15,000 bail.
Barend Philippus Botha, 66, was granted bail at the Klerksdorp Magistrate's Court on Monday.
North West South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson, Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone, said Botha allegedly defrauded six people of their money, amounting to R3,811,611.
Botha was a practicing attorney and sole director of a law firm when he defrauded the six between 2018 and 2019.
Monies from three deceased estates and various home purchase transactions were paid into the firm’s trust account, but his clients were never paid.
Botha was arrested on Monday and appeared in court on the same day.
His arrest was due to investigations by the Provincial Commercial Crime Investigation Unit which started in 2019.
He was struck off the roll as a practicing attorney by the High Court in Pretoria after he allegedly failed to account for the clients'' monies.
The case against him was postponed to October 30 for appearance at the regional court.
Brigadier Mokgwabone said the North West provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena welcomed the arrest and subsequent appearance of Botha in court.
He also commended the provincial commercial crime investigation unit for working tirelessly to ensure that he was arrested.
Last week, the Hawks arrested a Cape Town lawyer for allegedly attempting to bribe a prosecutor with R50,000 to file representations in favour of his client or make the State's case "disappear".
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