Lawyer given time to prove his innocence

A CHATSWORTH attorney has been given five months to prepare his defence against claims that he mismanaged more than R1-million of clients’ money.

The KwaZulu-Natal Law Society made an application to the High Court in Pietermaritzburg last year to have Daniel Vengtas struck off the roll after clients alleged that they had been duped out of their money in dodgy property deals. On Friday, the court adjourned the case to November.

Vengtas said files of his taken during the law society’s probe were central to his case and he required them to fully respond to the claims against him.

Vengtas is opposing the law society’s bid, claiming its inspection committee — appointed to probe the complaints — was unlawful and had no authority to inspect his trust account records.

He denied misrepresenting his clients and misappropriating their money.

In his opposing papers, Vengtas said the inspection committee had removed the files and records with the promise of returning them once copies had been made.

However, said Vengtas, this was not done.

In papers filed by attorney Siva Chetty, the law society said it had received three complaints against Vengtas relating to the “sale and/or transfer of immovable properties, the raising of finance and matters related”.

Revisha Singh, the law society’s acting manager of regulatory affairs, said a decision was taken to have Vengtas barred after the investigation found “trust account irregularities”.

“There is civil litigation and a criminal investigation pending against Vengtas in respect of the complaints.”

One of the complainants, Merebank resident Dayalan Naidoo, said in court papers that he entered into a purchase and sale agreement with Vengtas, who acted as nominee for a Westcliff, Chatsworth, property he was interested in buying in 2010.

Naidoo said R300 000 was deposited into Vengtas’s trust account pending the transfer of the property.

Vengtas allegedly gave Naidoo numerous excuses when he questioned why the transfer had been delayed.

“These excuses ranged from a delay with the South African Revenue Service to not being able to get rates clearance on the property.”

The society’s probe found the trust account had only R328.68 instead of R300 000.

Marven Finance, a loan and bridging company, complained it had granted Vengtas a R100 000 loan for the purchase of property on behalf of a client, who did not receive the money.

Vengtas also allegedly told the company he had received R850 000 in his trust account from the sale of another property.

But after inspection of trust account statements, it was established there was no such payment.