Johannesburg – A 61-year-old attorney appeared in the Kimberley Regional Court on sixteen counts of fraud, theft and money laundering, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) said on Monday.
Captain Philani Nkwalase said that Henry Coetzee, an attorney formerly based in Kimberley, appeared in court on Friday, November 18.
“According to the Northern Cape Hawks’ investigation, Mr Coetzee allegedly embezzled almost R4 million between March 2001 and November 2010. The alleged fraudulent acts were committed against First National Bank and various complainants in Kimberley over the said period,” Nkwalase said.
“The victims involved were people whom he represented in either property sales, civil matters and road accident fund claims. All these fraudulent acts were carried out while he was practising in Kimberly although he later relocated to Port Elizabeth.”
Nkwalase said that on November 2, Coetzee was served with court summons to appear in court.
The case was postponed to January 27.
African News Agency