The Mpumalanga Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Middelburg sentenced former attorney, Mantladi Jo-Anne Mmela to 10 years’ direct imprisonment for the theft of over R4.1 million from an attorney’s trust account.
Mmela was convicted on four counts of theft committed between June 2019 and March 2022 while practising as a sole practitioner at Mmela Attorneys. According to the National Prosecuting Authority, she had lodged Road Accident Fund claims on behalf of her clients, and the payouts were deposited into the trust account of Mmela Incorporated Attorneys for the benefit of the claimants. However, she failed to pay the funds over to her clients as required.
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“The matter came to light when one of the victims reported that Mmela had failed to pay out their RAF claim. A subsequent investigation led to her arrest in 2022,” said NPA regional spokesperson Monica Nyuswa.
Mmela was granted bail but later absconded, prompting the issuing of a warrant of arrest. She was subsequently re-arrested in February 2024 and remained in custody since. During the trial, she pleaded not guilty; however, Senior State Advocate Henry Nxumalo led compelling evidence that substantiated the allegations against her.
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Mmela was convicted on four counts of theft. The court ordered that the sentences on counts one, three, and four run concurrently with the sentence on count one, resulting in an effective sentence of 10 years’ direct imprisonment.
