Charges dropped

FRAUD charges against a Durban attorney were withdrawn in the Durban Commercial Crime Court yesterday (Tuesday).

Rakesh Kadarnath Maharaj and Durban businessman Marco Accolla were charged in September 2015 with fraud, forgery and uttering.

The charges against Accolla, once linked romantically with Durban socialite Rosanne Narandas, had been dropped earlier.

The State claimed Maharaj and Accolla acted in common purpose when they misrepresented that M Arshad was a creditor of Noella Rosario cc, which holds the leases for fashion boutique stores Ooh La La.

According to the charge sheet this caused Narandas financial prejudice amounting to R5 million.

In an e-mail to POST, Maharaj cited the charges against him as a personal vendetta.

“The charges having been withdrawn is clear that there was no evidence to prosecute a crime that was not committed, simply because no crime was committed.”

Accolla said a R65m damages claim was now being considered.