A North West court is on Monday expected to hand down a sentence to a man who pretended to be a lawyer and swindled desperate “clients” of more than R1m in “legal fees”.
At the time that he lied about being a lawyer, Kagiso Selomane was an official at a union. He does not have legal qualifications either.
However, when he met with the victims, the 45-year-old man told them he was a lawyer and took them to an office in Rustenburg where he charged them R1,000 to open a file and later charged more money for consultations. They also gave him petrol money when he would ask for it, saying he was going to court.
Selomane's victims decided to open cases against him after he failed to resolve their issues though they had parted with lots of money so he could help them. He stopped answering their calls and ignored them.
After a trial that lasted 10 years due to Selomane changing lawyers, the Covid-19 outbreak and him travelling to China for business, Selomane was found guilty of fraud and is to be sentenced at the Rustenburg magistrate's court.
So, one can safely say that this is a method which the accused used in order to try and impress the complainant that he is well known and to instil confidence in the client to trust him so that whenever he demanded some money, they can still continue to pay him.
— Samuel Maboho, magistrate
Selomane's defence during the trial was that he had indicated to his “clients” that he was a union official and not a lawyer.
However, magistrate Samuel Maboho said Selomane mislead the court when he stated that he did not pretend to be a lawyer or he did not introduce himself as a lawyer. Maboho said his victims would have not paid him if he had not misrepresented himself as a lawyer.
One of the people Solomane defrauded is Elias Matsonjego Molemane who was going through divorce. He approached Selomane to help with divorce proceedings. Despite paying Selomane R167,000, Molemane did not get any help with his divorce proceedings.
He had to get another lawyer and pay him so that his divorce could be finalised.
Another victim, Emily Mokotedi said she paid Selomane R182,000 for assistance in a labour related matter which to this day remains unsolved. At some point Selomane went with her to the labour court in Braamfontein, Gauteng twice. At no point during those trips was she ever called into the courtroom.
Segonyana Katane also consulted Selomane for an unfair dismissal case and paid him R57,000. He also took her to the labour court in Braamfontein about five times, showed her a courtroom and told her it was were her matter would be heard. They exited the courtroom and Katane was seated outside all along and never called inside. Just like Mokotedi, her matter was never heard nor entertained.
“Now, this is very uncommon that lawyers would go around introducing their clients to each and every person there, and not even let the client be seated in the courtroom when the matter is being entertained,” Maboho said.
“So, one can safely say that this is a method which the accused used in order to try and impress the complainant that he is well known and to instil confidence in the client to trust him so that whenever he demanded some money, they can still continue to pay him.”
Maureen Coetzee also lost R94,000 to Selomane who said he would help wind her deceased father's estate. Twice they went to court in Pretoria but nothing came out of their visits there. She also gave him petrol money.
Zodwa Rakudu, who had a labour issues lost R60,000 to Selomane. She was also taken to the labour court, introduced to some people but never sat inside the courtroom where the matter was allegedly supposed to be heard.
It is not the first time that Selomane finds himself at odds with the law. He has a previous conviction of fraud for stealing R 785,000 from a deceased person's account.
He was sentenced to three years correctional supervision and further eight years imprisonment suspended for five years. He was further ordered to repay the stolen money.
He is currently on trial for another fraud case where is alleged to have defrauded the victim of R350,000.
SowetanLIVE
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