Bail for North West attorney who 'defrauded' client in R763k RAF claim

A North West attorney who allegedly defrauded a client of more than R763,000 Road Accident Fund (RAF) payout has been released on R5,000 bail.

Emanuel Mesele Tau, 50, appeared in court the Rustenburg magistrate's court on Monday after being arrested by the Hawks the same day.

“The arrest emanates from an investigation into an RAF payout of approximately R763,195, which the attorney allegedly received on behalf of a client but kept for himself,” said Hawks spokesperson Capt Tlangelani Rikhotso.

It was reported that the woman, who lost her husband in a motor vehicle accident, asked Tau for assistance in lodging the claim, she said.

Tau allegedly received the payout in 2014, but failed to divulge this information to the client. 

“In 2021, after many failed attempts to contact the attorney, the widow reported the incident to the police,” said Rikhotso, adding that the case was subsequently handed over to the Hawks.

The matter was adjourned to August 8.

The Hawks provincial head Maj-Gen Patrick Mbotho welcomed the arrest and commended the investigator and prosecutor who worked on the matter.

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