Court delay in trial of former attorney accused of R13m RAF swindles

A congestion of the court roll has resulted in the trial of a former attorney accused of swindling his clients out of millions of rand being postponed to later this month. Manfred Chinamasa appeared in the East London Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday for the continuation of his trial. But the court heard that Chinamasa, who was disbarred by the Legal Practice Council, had only hand-written notes of an original statement he was given after cross-examining the first investigator of the case, Sgt Thula Maja.

Chinamasa is representing himself. The court adjourned for the statement to be typed and commissioned. As a result, Chinamasa will be back in the dock on March 18 for a continuation of the case.

Chinamasa is facing charges of theft and money laundering after allegedly duping his Road Accident Fund clients out of more than R13m. One of his alleged victims, who is said to have lost R4.6m to Chinamasa, is set to testify when the trial resumes. The Dispatch previously reported that one of Chinamasa’s alleged victims, Khumshile Mandita, has died while awaiting the outcome of the trial. Click here to join the Daily Dispatch’s WhatsApp channel and get the latest news delivered straight to your phone