Disbarred attorney ‘stole from dead, disabled and homeless’

A DISBARRED Eastern Cape attorney has been arrested by the Hawks for allegedly stealing from a dead man, a disabled man and a homeless woman.

Lindile Brian Nompozolo, 52, originally from Mthatha, is charged with three counts of theft totalling more than R1.3-million.

He appeared before magistrate Nazeem Joemath in the East London Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday to apply for bail.

State prosecuting advocate Thenjwa Sellem handed over a four-page indictment to the magistrate detailing the Hawks’ investigation into Nompozolo’s handling of client funds dating back to 2002.

The state alleges Nompozolo, a father of seven, stole R163 462 from a deceased Mdantsane man when he was appointed by the court to claim pension and overtime monies on behalf of the man’s family in 2002.

He was later enlisted to represent an East London road accident victim with the Road Accident Fund.

The fund paid out R1 018 720.80 into Nompozolo’s trust account in February 2008 for general damages and loss of earnings.

The RAF further paid out R119 500.72 into the same account as attorney costs.

The state claims Nompozolo used entire payout for his personal benefit.

Later that year, the former attorney was hired to oversee the sale of a house in Mdantsane NU16 for R140 000 and Nompozolo banked the entire payout, leaving his clients out in the cold.

The Cape Law Society the interdicted him from practising in September 2009 for similar offences. Nompozolo is a former director of Nompozolo and Gabelana Incorporated.

His platinum client list included soccer boss Sturu Pasiya and the Bush Bucks.

He was struck from the roll in 2010 for theft of clients’ money.

At the time the court described him as a “patently dishonest” person with no integrity.

As part of his bail application on Tuesday, Nompozolo handed in an affidavit motivating why he should be released on bail.

In it, he said he was a married man who lived in Beacon Bay.

He further stated he was currently jobless but nonetheless from time to time he consulted on legal matters for a fee.

“I have been struggling to get gainful employment ever since I was interdicted from practising as an attorney,” he said.

“I have on numerous [occasions] requested permission from the Cape Law Society to allow me to work on attorney firm ( sic) but such request fell in ( sic) deaf ears.

“I have seven children whose ages range between three years and 26 years. All my children with the exception of the eldest are still in different institutions of learning and I financially support them.”

He said he was not a flight risk as he was still engaged in a legal battle with the Law Society over R4-million the body allegedly illegally deducted from his trust accounts.

He said he was going to plead not guilty to all three counts.

Joemath released Nompozolo on R2 000 bail. The case was postponed to July 13. —