PRE-TRIAL DATE SET FOR FORMER ATTORNEY ACCUSED OF THEFT

PRE-TRIAL DATE SET FOR FORMER ATTORNEY ACCUSED OF THEFT

The Rustenburg Regional Court postponed a case against Betty Diale(52), to 27 January 2023, for pre-trial. She has indicated to the court that she will be representing herself and the state will be providing her with all the necessary documents in preparation for trial.

Diale is facing six charges of theft, amounting to approximately R700 000, allegedly stolen from the Road Accident Fund(RAF) claimants.

Police reports reveal that Fidelity Funds, a body that oversees the conduct of attorneys, received several complaints from the RAF claimants, whose payments were deposited into Diale’s trust account.

The claimants alleged that the said money did not reach them, after the payout and henceforth, reported to the police for investigation. Diale was practicing as an attorney, during the alleged commission of the crimes between 2009 and 2011, and was subsequently charged with six counts of theft in June 2021.

The Legal Practice Council has struck her off the roll, preventing her from practising as an attorney.