begin wrapper
begin container
begin header
begin slogan-floater
end slogan-floater
- About SAFLII
About SAFLII
- Databases
Databases
- Search
Search
- Terms of Use
Terms of Use
- RSS Feeds
RSS Feeds
end header
begin main
begin center
# South Africa: North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria
South Africa: North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria
You are here:
SAFLII
>>
Databases
>>
South Africa: North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria
>>
2023
>>
[2023] ZAGPPHC 1894
|
Noteup
|
LawCite
sino index
## South African Legal Council v Matsi and Another (078312/2023)
[2023] ZAGPPHC 1894 (30 August 2023)
South African Legal Council v Matsi and Another (078312/2023)
[2023] ZAGPPHC 1894 (30 August 2023)
Download original files
PDF format
RTF format
make_database: source=/home/saflii//raw/ZAGPPHC/Data/2023_1894.html
sino date 30 August 2023
# IN
THE HIGH COURT OF SOUTH AFRICA
IN
THE HIGH COURT OF SOUTH AFRICA
GAUTENG
DIVISION, PRETORIA
CASE
NO
: 078312/2023
DATE
:
30-08-2023
(1)
REPORTABLE: NO.
(2)
OF INTEREST TO OTHER JUDGES: NO.
(3)
REVISED.
DATE:
6 NOVEMBER 2023
In
the matter between
SOUTH
AFRICAN LEGAL COUNCIL
Applicant
and
MMATLOU
LESLEY MATSI & ANOTHER
Respondent
J
U D G M E N T
DAVIS,
J
:
Due
to the nature of the relief sought in this application and its
position on the urgent roll I deem it appropriate that an
ex
tempore
judgment be delivered so that the parties are immediately
aware of their position and the matter can thereby be finalised,
rather
than be dragged out. The judgment is therefore as follows:
The
applicant in this matter is the South African Legal Practice Council
for the Gauteng Provence. The respondent is an attorney
of this
court, and he practices as Matsi Law Chambers Incorporated in
Pretoria. This is an application for the suspension of the
first
respondent, Mr Matsi, from practicing as a legal practitioner
pending a final investigation to be concluded after the
appointment
of a curator to take control of his practice.
The
nature of the proceedings are as follows: The Legal Practice Council,
referred to as the LPC, is not an ordinary litigant, and
its duties
and obligations in terms of the
Legal Practice Act, 28 of 2014
is
well-known and need not be repeated again here in urgent court.
Suffice to say that the applicant contends that it is as
custos
mores
of legal practitioners in general, and specifically in
terms of
Sections 33
and
44
of the
Legal Practice Act, obliged
to
launch an application of this nature, should it be of the view that a
legal practitioner’s conduct merits a suspension
or that a
legal practitioner is no longer fit and proper to practice.
The
LPC has taken such a decision on 25 May 2013. That decision was
preceded by a number of preceding steps. These are in summary
the
following: The LPC has received no less than eight complaints from
clients of the legal practitioner. The legal practitioner
was in
writing requested to respond to these complaints and he has done so.
The responses have not satisfied the LPC, pursuant
to which a Mr
Nyali was appointed to conduct an investigation and to report to the
LPC.
Mr
Nyali has reported to the manager of the Gauteng Provincial office of
the LPC on 17 April 2023, regarding his visit to the office
of the
practitioner and what has transpired there. His report runs into a
number of pages. It details his interaction with the
legal
practitioner and his attempts to obtain books of account and
supporting documents, including bank statements.
I
shall deal with some of the contents of the report later, as well as
the complaints dealt with therein. It is apposite at this
stage,
however, to deal with the conclusion reached by Mr Nyali, which he
has confirmed by way of a confirmatory affidavit in this
court, as
part of these proceedings.
I
quote his conclusion in full, to place the matter in context:
Paragraph
16.1
:
The
Legal Practice Council initially instructed Ms Puseletso Nhlopo
Hlogwana to attend to the inspection of the firm’s accounting
records. According to the email communication between Ms Hlogwana
and the legal practitioner, she attempted to secure an appointment
date for a meeting several times with no success. Ms Hlogwana
resigned from her position at the Legal Practice Council prior to
finalisation of the inspection. I have thus taken over Ms Hlogwana’s
file and was mandated to inspect the firm’s accounting
records.
16.2
) I had a physical
meeting with Mr Matsi on 9 September 2022. I informed him of my
mandate to conduct an inspection in terms of
Section 37(2)(a)
of the
Act. Mr Matsi was also informed of the scope of the inspection, as
well as the information and records required for the
inspection.
16.3)
Subsequent to
our meeting on 9 September 2022 I sent Mr Matsi a letter,
specifying the accounting records required to complete
the
inspection.
16.4)
After a number a
number of follow-up emails the practitioner failed to provide me with
the firm’s requested accounting records.
Despite the fact that
Mr Matsi was given ample time to provide the requested information he
persisted in failing to do so. Due
to the practitioner’s
failure to cooperate, the firm’s bank statements were requested
directly from the firm’s
bankers in terms of
Section 91(4)
of
the
Legal Practice Act.
16.5)
The
inspection
was thus confined to the limited information available to me, which
included information contained in the complaints,
as well as the
Trust bank statements obtained directly from FNB.
16.6)
In my discussion
with Mr Matsi, he advised that the maintenance of the firm’s
accounting records is outsourced to an external
book keeper.
According to Mr Matsi the accounting records are updated on a monthly
basis. I was unable to validate the practitioner’s
statements
without the maintenance(?) of accounting records, since I was not
furnished with same
.”
From
paragraph 16.7 to 16.13, a number of complaints are dealt with. I do
not intend quoting from the report further regarding these
complaints, as they were dealt with in the founding, answering and
replying affidavits. I shall deal with them when dealing with
the
practitioner’s response thereto.
The
report of Mr Nyali concludes, however, as follows:
“
16.14)
During
the inspection it was noted that
the legal practitioner submitted manipulated audit reports and
account, attorney’s annual
statements of a trust account for
the financial years 2021 and 2022. It is clear that the audit reports
were manipulated to conceal
a huge deficit that existed at reported
dates. Due to the practitioner’s failure to provide the
requested information I was
unable to estimate the actual trust
deficit. However, based on a high number of complaints lodged against
the legal practitioner
and my findings as detailed above, it is clear
that a significant Trust [indistinct] exists. In the light of the
above I am of
the view that the [indistinct] poses a threat to Trust
creditors, the legal practitioner’s Fidelity Fund, as well as
the
funds of future clients
.”
The
report is ended by a recommendation that it be referred to the LPC to
consider further appropriate action. I have already earlier
referred
to the LPC’s consideration and resolution on what action to
take, which was the launch of the current application
for suspension
of the practitioner. So far the nature of the proceedings and what
brought the parties to court today.
Regarding
the test for suspension, this has been set out sufficiently
previously in
Jasat v Natal Law Society
2000 (2) ALL SA 310
(SCA) at paragraph 10. The test is as follows: first, that the court
must decide if the alleged offending conduct has been established
on
a preponderance of probabilities. After conclusion of this factual
inquiry a court must consider if the practitioner concerned
is, in
the determination of the court, not a fit and proper person to
continue to practice. This involves a weighing-up of the
conduct
complained of against the conduct expected of a legal practitioner,
and involves a value judgment. Thirdly, the court must
inquire
whether, in all the circumstances, the practitioner in question
should be removed from the roll or whether a suspension
from practice
would suffice. The third enquiry is ordinarily applicable when an
application for striking off is considered. The
first two
considerations, and the protection of the public, are those
considerations relevant when a temporary or interim suspension
is to
be considered.
In
the current case the position is as follows, and I shall not deal
with all the eight complainants, but primarily only those referred
to
in the replying affidavit as well as that of a Ms Momolola.
The
first complaint to be considered is that of Ms Msiza. From the
affidavits the relevant facts regarding Ms Msiza’s
complaint
can be summarised as follows: It is common cause that Ms Msiza was a
client of the practitioner. Her claim against the
Road Accident Fund
was settled in court on 24 April 2019. The Road Accident Fund shortly
thereafter, on 25 July 2019, made payment
of exactly the amount
contained in the court order, namely R1 915 920.00.
Shortly
after that payment, on 30 September 2019, as subsequently determined
by Mr Nyali from the respondent’s bank statements,
the
respondent’s trust account only had a balance of R271 673.18.
The money received from the Road Accident Fund must
therefore have
been disbursed from the trust account. From the bank statement it
appears that it was used to pay other accounts,
rather than Ms Msiza,
including six personal loans of the practitioner and other expenses.
The
month thereafter Ms Msiza complained to the LPC on 7 October 2019.
The practitioner in his answering affidavit informed the
court that
Ms Msiza has since passed on. His answer in this regard is
significant. When dealing with this complaint and the allegations
regarding the trust deficit he states the following:
“
Unfortunately
Ms Msiza passed away just before payment could be made to her. An
executor was appointed and she was assisted by her
colleagues, Chip
and Van Asway Attorneys. I can confirm here under oath that payment
to client as regards the first capital, relating
to the first order,
was made to the abovementioned attorneys
.”
No
particulars are furnished as to what amount has been paid to these
attorneys, no detail is furnished as to when payment of the
amount
allegedly paid out had been made. The date is, of course, of crucial
importance, if one bears in mind that the trust account
had already
been depleted by September of that year.
No
particulars are furnished as to the payments allegedly made to the
attorneys who, it is assumed, represent the executor in the
estate.
It appears that the practitioner knows some of the details of the
estate, as he says that the deceased, that is Ms Msiza,
is survived
by traditional spouse, Mr Phiri, and four children, one adult
and three minors, yet no further particulars or
even an
acknowledgment of receipt by the executor has been produced. It
appears however, that the trust account had been depleted
prior to
the passing of Ms Msiza and prior to the appointment of thee
attorneys. Accordingly, the source of any payment to them,
had not
been disclosed.
The
next complaint necessary to be dealt with is that of Ms Molefe.
The details regarding this complaint is shortly as follows:
Ms Molefe
was also a claimant in a Road Accident Fund matter. She complained to
the LPC that the legal practitioner has on 21 October
2022
received an amount of R837 722.70 from the Road Accident Fund in
respect of her claim.
After
Mr Nyali had inspected the Trust bank statements for that month he
confirmed that the amount had indeed been received in the
trust
account. Shortly thereafter, however, on 31 January 2023, the trust
balance was only R333 441.00. This means that a substantial
portion
of the amount, if that had been the only funds in the trust account,
had been disbursed without payment of it to the client.
The
complainant was eventually paid a lump sum in a rounded-off figure of
R400 000.00 on 1 August 2022.
This
is more than 20 months after the practitioner had received the
capital from the RAF, and clearly, if one has regard to the
depletion
of the funds in the Trust account, this payment must have been made
from funds other than that received in respect of
this claim from the
Road Accident Fund.
The
case of Ms Mogolola was particularly highlighted by Counsel who
appeared for the LPC. The reason for this is that it involves
a minor
child. The action in that matter was also against the Road Accident
Fund on behalf of the minor child, in respect of a
loss of support.
Ms Mogolola had determined after a visit by her to the Road
Accident Fund’s offices, that the loss
of support claim had
already been paid to the practitioner on 7 July 2022.
However,
she reported and complained to the LPC that the practitioner had told
her that funds would only be received in November
or December of that
year. He then also told her that initially he would deduct 25 percent
of the capital account. There is no indication
of whether this was in
terms of a contingency fee agreement or not. Those particulars are
still lacking.
Subsequently,
however, the practitioner offered to give Ms Mogolola a R50 000.00
advance, whilst waiting for payment of the
RAF Funds. The inspection
conducted by Mr Nyali show that the matter had indeed been
finalised on 26 November 2021, and an
amount of R630 690.00 had
been awarded to the minor child for the loss of support, and that
amount had in fact been paid to
the practitioner on 8 July 2022. This
accords with the facts disclosed by the Road Accident Fund to Ms
Mogolola.
Mr
Nyali also discovered a letter addressed to Ms Mogolola by the
practitioner, indicating that he had estimated an amount
of
R350 000.00 being due to her, but thereafter the inspection of
the trust bank accounts noted payments to her of R5 000.00
on 13
September 2022, R5 000.00 on 30 November 2022 and R10 000.00
on 22 December 2022 only.
In
the answering affidavit, in view of this set of facts the
respondent’s answer is telling. I quote it in full:
“
Payment
of the capital was made to client in the sum of R410 455.00 and
this matter should be regarded as closed. Client received
payment
even though party and party costs have not yet been paid by the RAF.
In fact, the RAF indicated its intention to review
same. The law firm
is somewhat prejudiced, as it runs the risk of not recovering its
final costs and fees in full. The real justice
for client is served.
Therefore urgency does not arise, but is rather imaginative or
putative, as it is based on old, incomplete
factual narratives.
Urgency has to be real
.”
No
particularity of the payment of this amount has been furnished and no
particularity has been furnished regarding the previous
payments.
There was also no explanation of how this client’s funds have
been dealt with in the trust account.
Regarding
a major source of non-compliance with obligations, one has to
consider whether the obligation to keep up the books of
account had
been satisfied, and whether there have been a cooperation in respect
thereof with Mr Nyali on behalf of the LPC.
Section 87(5)(a)
of
the
Legal Practice Act obliges
a practitioner to produce for
inspection a book, document or article in his possession or under his
custody or control if such
is requested by the LPC.
Added
to this is the obligation in terms of
Section 37(2)(a)
of the Act,
requiring a practitioner to cooperate with the LPC when it
investigates any matter. The failure to cooperate, as required
by the
Legal Practice Act, has
been sufficiently set out by Mr Nyali in his
report.
Apart
from the obligation to co-operate and produce books of account,
Section 87(1)
of the
Legal Practice Act provides
that a Trust account
practice, such as that of the legal practitioner in question, must
keep proper accounting records containing
particular information in
respect of moneys received and paid by its own account, and moneys
received, held or paid by the account
of any person.
Rule
55(4) of the LPC Rules requires such books of account to be kept,
which would be present fairly, and in accordance with an
acceptable
financial framework, the state of affairs of the business, of a firm
such as the practitioner in question, indicating
assets and
liabilities, day-to-day receipt of moneys and entries made in respect
thereof, and information of all monies held and
paid by it, or by the
practitioner to the account of any person. This will include the
three complainants already referred to.
Rules
34 and 48, further provide that practitioner must ensure that the
total amount of money in its trust banking account, or trust
investment account and trust cash, shall not be less than the total
amount of the credit balances of the rust records shown in
its
accounting records. There are similar requirements in Rules 54.14.4
and 54.12 and 13.
Against
the background of these facts one must then determine whether
misconduct of the practitioner has been established. Non-Compliance
with the obligations imposed in terms of the
Legal Practice Act also
constitutes misconduct.
Given
the facts stated above, and given the lack of any explanation or
proper responses from the practitioner, one cannot but conclude
that
misconduct has been established in numerous instances.
The
next inquiry is whether the practitioner is then a fit and proper
person to continue in practice. In
Vassen v The Law Society of the
Cape
[1998] ZASCA 47
;
1998 (4) SA 532
(SCA), the Supreme Court of Appeal confirmed
that an attorney such as the legal practitioner in question, should
exhibit honesty,
reliability and integrity. This also pertains to his
trust affairs.
The
judgment goes further to underline that the general public is
entitled to expect that money will not be used for any purpose
other
than that for which it had been held. There are numerous other cases
which also confirm the high standard of integrity expected
from
practitioners, no less so than
General Council of the Bar of South
Africa v Geach and Others
2013 (2) SA 52
(SCA)
and
Incorporated
Law Society Transvaal v Visser and others
,
Incorporated Law
Society Transvaal v Viljoen
1958 (4) SA 115
(T), a decision of
this court.
What
is furthermore expected of a practitioner, when his conduct is placed
before a court under scrutiny is that he should display
absolute
candour and at least take the LPC and the Court into his confidence.
The respondent has failed to do so, and the manner
in which he dealt
with the complaints referred to in the founding affidavit show a
disregard, not only for the Court, but also
for his obligations
towards the public and those who complained of his conduct in
particular.
The
fact of the matter is further that the practitioner continued to
practice and apparently still continues to practice without
proper
books of account, and proper management of his trust account. He also
continues to do so without a Fidelity Fund Certificate,
thereby
placing the public and any future client at risk.
In
my view, the practitioner’s conduct merits his suspension and
that control over his practice should be exercised by a curator
as
proposed by the LPC.
Order:
1.
That the Honourable Court dispenses with the forms and service
provided for in the Uniform Rules in terms of Rule 6(12)(a) and
disposes
of this matter at such time and place and in such manner and
in accordance with such procedures as it seems fit.
2.
That MMATLOU LESLEY MATSI (hereinafter referred to as “the
First Respondent”) be suspended from practising as a legal
practitioner on an urgent basis pending the finalisation of the
application, and on the following conditions.
3.
That the First Respondent immediately hand delivers his
certificate of enrolment as an attorney to the Registrar of this
Honourable
Court.
4.
That in the event of the First Respondent failing to comply
with the terms of this order detailed in the previous paragraph
within
two (2) weeks from date of this order, that the Sheriff of the
district in which the certificate is, be authorised and directed
to
take possession of the certificate and to hand it to the Registrar of
this Honourable Court.
5.
That the First Respondent be prohibited from handling or
operating on his trust accounts as detailed in paragraph 6 hereunder.
6.
That the Director/Acting Director and or Nominee, of the
Gauteng Provincial Office of the Applicant, be appointed as
curator
bonis
(herein after referred to as “
curator
”)
to administer and control the trust accounts of the Respondents,
including accounts relating to insolvent and deceased
estates and any
deceased estate and any estate under curatorship connected with the
First Respondent’s practice as attorney
and including also, the
separate banking account opened and kept by the First Respondent at a
bank in the Republic of South Africa
in terms of
section 86(1)
of the
Legal Practice Act
(“LPA”) and/or any separate savings or
interest-bearing accounts as contemplated by
section 86(3)
and
section 86(4)
of the LPA, in which monies from such trust bank
accounts having been invested by virtue of the provisions of the said
sub-sections
or in which monies in any manner have been deposited or
credited (the said accounts being hereafter referred to as “the
trust
accounts”), with the following powers and duties:
6.1
immediately to take possession of the Respondents’ accounting
records, records, filed and documents
as referred to in paragraph 7
and subject to the approval of the Board of Control of the Legal
Practitioner’s Fidelity Fund
(herein after referred to as “the
Fund”) to sign all forms and generally to operate upon the
trust account(s), but
only to such extent and for such purpose as may
deem necessary to bring to completion current transactions in which
the First Respondent
was acting at the date of this order;
6.2
Subject to the approval and control of the Board of Control of the
Fund and where monies had been paid
incorrectly and unlawfully from
the undermentioned trust accounts, to recover and receive and, if
necessary in the interests of
persons having lawful claims upon the
trust account(s) and/or against the First Respondent in respect of
monies held, received
and/or invested by the First Respondent in
terms of
Section 86(3)
and
section 86(4)
of the PA (herein after
referred to as “the trust monies”), to take any legal
proceedings which may be necessary for
the recovery of money which
may be due to such persons in respect of incomplete transactions, if
any, in which the First Respondent
was and may still have been
concerned and to receive such monies and to pay the same to the
credit of the trust account(s);
6.3
To ascertain from the Respondents accounting records the names of all
persons on whose account the First
Respondent appears to hold or to
have received trust monies (herein after referred to as “trust
creditors”) and to
call upon the First Respondent to furnish
him, within 30 (thirty) days of the date of service of this order
such further period
as he may agree to in writing, with the names,
addresses and amounts due to all trust creditors;
6.4
To call upon such trust creditors to furnish such proof, information
and/or affidavits as he may require
to enable him, acting in
consultation with, and subject to the requirements of, the Board of
Control of the Fund, to determine
whether any such trust creditor has
a claim in respect of monies in the trust account(s) of the
Respondents and, if so, the amount
of such claim;
6.5
To admit or reject, in whole or in part, subject to the approval of
the Board of Control of the Fund,
the claims of any such trust
creditor or creditors, without prejudice to such trust creditor’s
or creditors’ rights
of access to the civil courts;
6.6
Having determined the amounts which he considered are lawfully due to
trust creditors, to pay such claims
in full subject always to the
approval of the Bord of Control of the Fund;
6.7
In the event of there being surplus in the trust account(s) of the
Respondents after payment of the
admitted claims of all trust
creditors in full, to utilise such surplus to settle or reduce (as
the case may be), firstly any claim
of the Fund in terms of
section
63(3)
of the LPA in respect of any interest therein referred to and,
secondly, without prejudice to the rights of the trust creditors
of
the First Respondent, the costs, fees and expenses referred to in
paragraph 13 of this application, or such portion thereof
as has not
already been separately paid by the First Respondent to Applicant,
and, if there is any balance left, subject to the
approval of the
Board of Control of the Fund, to the First Respondent, if he is
solvent, or, if the First Respondent is insolvent,
to the trustee(s)
of the First Respondent’s insolvent estate;
6.8
In the event of there being insufficient trust monies in the trust
banking account(s) of the Respondents,
in accordance with the
available documentation and information, to pay in full the claims of
trust creditors who have lodged claims
for repayment and whose claims
have been approved, to distribute the credit balance(s) which may be
available in the trust bank
account(s) amongst the trust creditors
alternatively to pay the balance to the Legal Practitioner’s
Fidelity Fund;
6.9
Subject to the approval of the chairman of the Board of Control of
the Fund, to appoint nominees or
representatives and/or consult with
and/or engage the services of attorneys, counsel, accountants and/or
any other persons, where
considered necessary, to assist him in
carrying out his duties as curator; and
6.10
To render from time to time, as curator, returns to the Board of
Control of the Fund showing how the trust account(s)
of the
Respondents has/have been dealt with, until such time as the Board
notifies him that he may regard his duties as curator
as terminated.
7.
That the First Respondent immediately delivers his accounting
records, records, filed and documentation containing particulars and
information relating to:
7.1
any monies received, held or paid by the First Respondent for or on
account of any person while practising as an
attorney;
7.2
any monies invested by the First Respondent in terms of
section 86(3)
and
section 86(4)
of the LPA;
7.3
any interest on monies so invested which was paid over or credited to
the First Respondent;
7.4
any estate of a deceased person or an insolvent estate or an estate
under curatorship administered by the First
Respondent, whether as an
executor or trustee or curator or on behalf of the executor, trustee
or curator;
7.5
any insolvent estate administered by the First Respondent as trustee
or on behalf of the trustees in terms of the
Insolvency Act, No 24 of
1936
;
7.6
any trust administered by the First Respondent as trustee or on
behalf of the trustee in terms of the Trust Property
Control Act, No
57 of 1988;
7.7
any company liquidated in terms of the Companies Act, No 61 of 1973,
administered by the First Respondent as or
on behalf of the
liquidator;
7.8
any close corporation liquidated in terms of the Close Corporation
Act, 69 of 1984, administered by the First Respondent
as or on behalf
of the liquidator; and
7.9
the First Respondent’s practice as an attorney of this
Honourable Court, to the curator appointed in terms
of paragraph 6
hereof, provided that, as far as such account records, files and
documents are concerned, the First Respondent shall
be entitled to
have reasonable access to them but always subject to the supervision
of such curator or his nominee.
8.
That should the First Respondent fail to comply with the provisions
of the preceding paragraph of this
order on service thereof upon him
or after a return by the person entrusted with the service thereof
that he has been unable to
effect service thereof on the First
Respondent (as the case may be), the sheriff of the district in which
such accounting records,
records, files and documents are, be
empowered and directed to search for and take possession thereof
wherever they may be and
to deliver them to such curator;
9.
That the First Respondent be and is hereby removed from office as –
9.1
executor of any estate of which the First Respondent has been
appointed in terms of
section 54(1)(a)(v)
of the
Administration of
Estates Act, No 66 of 1965
or the estate of any other person refer to
in
section 72(1)
;
1cm; line-height: 150%">
9.2
curator or guardian of any minor or other person’s property in
terms of
section 72(1)
read with
section 54(1)(a)(v)
and
section 85
of the
Administration of Estates Act, No 66 of 1965
;
9.3
trustee of any insolvent estate in terms of
section 59
of the
Insolvency Act, No 24 of 1936
;
9.4
Liquidator of any company in terms of
section 379(2)
read with 379(e)
of the Companies Act, No 61 of 1973;
9.5
Trustee of any trust in terms of Section 20(1) of the Trust Property
Control Act, No 57 of 1988;
9.6
Liquidator of any close corporation appointed in terms of Section 74
of the Close Corporation Act, No 69 of 1984.
10.
That the curator shall be entitled to:
10.1
Hand over to the persons entitled thereto all such records, files and
documents provided that a satisfactory written
undertaking has been
received from such persons to pay any amount, either determined on
taxation or by agreement, in respect of
fees and disbursements due to
the firm;
10.2
Require from the persons referred to in paragraph 10.1 to provide any
such documentation or information which he may
consider relevant in
respect of a claim or possible or anticipated claim, against him
and/or the First Respondent and/or First
Respondent’s clients
and/or the Fund in respect of money and/or other property entrusted
to the First Respondent provided
that any person entitled thereto
shall be granted reasonable access thereto and shall be permitted to
make copies thereof;
10.3
Publish this order or an abridged version thereof in any newspaper he
considered appropriate;
10.4
Wind-up the Respondent’s practice.
11.
That, if there are any trust funds available, the First Respondent
shall within 6 (six) months after having been
requested to do so by
the curator, or within such longer period as the curator may agree to
in writing, shall satisfy the curator,
by means of the submission of
taxed bills of costs or otherwise, of the amount of the fees and
disbursements due to him (First
Respondent) in respect of this former
practice, and should he fail to do so, he shall not be entitled to
recover such fees and
disbursements from the curator without
prejudice, however, to such rights (if any) as he may have against
the trust creditor(s)
concerned for payment or recovery thereof;
12.
That a certificate issued by the director of the Legal Practitioner’s
Fidelity Fund shall constitute prima
facie proof of the curator’s
costs and that the Registrar be authorised to issue a writ of
execution on the strength of such
certificate in order to collect the
curator’s costs.
13.
That the First Respondent be and is hereby directed:
13.1
To pay, in terms of section 87(2) of the LPA, the reasonable costs of
the inspection of the accounting records of the
Respondents;
13.2
To pay the reasonable fees and expenses of the curator;
13.3
To pay the reasonable fees and expenses of any person(s)
consulted and or engaged by the curator as aforesaid;
13.4
To pay the expenses relating to the publication of this order
or any abbreviated version thereof; and
13.5
To pay the costs of this application on an attorney and client
scale.
14.
The application for the review of the report of Mr Nyali is refused,
with costs.
DAVIS,
J
JUDGE
OF THE HIGH COURT
DATE
JUDGMENT DELIVERED
: 30 AUGUST
2023
sino noindex
make_database footer start