Gupta attorney decision soon
The Law Society of the Northern Provinces says it appears there is a prima facie case that Gupta attorney Gert van der Merwe needs to answer regarding his receiving indemnity in a fraud, corruption and moneylaundering trial.
Lutendo Sigogo, president of the society, said a decision would be taken on Friday on whether the allegations warranted an investigation.
“We will consider if it warrants investigation, but prima facie, it will seem as if there is a case that Gert must answer to,” Sigogo said.
Eyewitness News reported earlier in June that Van der Merwe sought indemnity from prosecution in the case of former Limpopo health MEC Miriam Segabutla and businessman Johnny Lucas‚ after money was routed between the parties through his trust account.
This became public knowledge when a trove of internal e-mails from the Gupta family was leaked to the media.
Van der Merwe was arrested in connection with the case in 2014, but charges were withdrawn after he became a section 204 witness.
A letter sent to the DA’s Glynnis Breytenbach last week by the Law Society of the Northern Provinces noted that a decision had been taken to investigate Van der Merwe.
Sigogo, however, said this was merely the recommendation made by management and not the final decision.
In his initial response to the allegations in the report, Van der Merwe admitted that he acted as attorney for both parties, but added that he was unaware of the nature of their relationship.
“I never knowingly‚ intentionally or actively participated in any criminal activities, and to the extent that my services [and] infrastructure might have been abused to promote any such activities, the aforesaid is regretted‚” Van der Merwe said just after the story broke.
Sigogo said he understood from the statement Van der Merwe issued that he would cooperate with the law society in the investigation. Van der Merwe said on Sunday that he had asked the law society to probe the allegations against him on the morning that the Eyewitness News report was published.
The latest saga was created by hired guns trying to dig up dirt on the Guptas’ attorney, the lawyer said.
Breytenbach, however, said in a statement last week that the DA had requested the investigation and that it would push for Van der Merwe to be struck off the attorneys’ roll if the investigation found he “has failed to meet the high ethical standards expected”.