‘Bogus’ lawyer forged divorce, says trustee
AN allegedly bogus lawyer has been accused of forgery as he attempts to hang onto his houses and cars, avoid sequestration and save his career.
Patel Muhamed, also known as Mohamed Ismail Patel, said in court papers his wife, Fatima, had “received her Islamic divorce [from me] according to Sharia law” through the Majlisush Shura al Islami council in Cape Town.
The divorce document, handed in to the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court, where Patel is challenging the seizure of his assets by the provisional trustees of his estate, was purportedly signed in August 2016 by Rugaya Gabier.
But in an affidavit, trustee Eileen Fey said Gabier had retired from the council four years earlier.
Patel also submitted a July 2016 letter from law firm Liddle & Associates confirming his divorce, but Fey said the firm had distanced itself from the letter.
“Gabier . . . has no knowledge of the divorce certificate. It is clear the ‘certificate’ is a forgery,” Fey said. “The effect thereof is that Fatima’s assets vest in the trustees.”
Fey and co-trustee Abduruman Moollajie have summoned Patel’s family for “interrogation” as they investigate the disappearance of millions of rands from the lawyer’s insolvent estate.
Patel’s son Yusuf Ismail was in court in Wynberg this week to defend a provisional spoliation order he obtained last month following the seizure of Patel’s assets from his Rylands mansion.
The High Court in Cape Town ordered Patel’s provisional sequestration in December following an application by Sivalutchmee Moodliar, a trustee of the insolvent estate of the Coe Family Trust. Patel was a joint trustee of the estate, on which Absa has a proven R17-million claim.
Moodliar accused Patel of SHIFTING BLAME: Patel Muhamed, also known as Mohamed Ismail Patel
It is clear the ‘certificate’ is a forgery
misappropriating R9.35-million from the insolvent estate and “stealing” R8.8-million from its bank account.
Fey and Moollajie seized two properties in Club Mykonos, Langebaan, a Jaguar and a boat in Hout Bay harbour. They are looking for five other vehicles.
Ismail told the court this week the movable property belonged to him, “my father’s ex-wife Fatima”, her child and the family trust.
The High Court in Cape Town will hear Patel’s arguments in the sequestration application next week. The Cape Law Society’s application to have Patel struck off the roll for allegedly falsifying his qualification will be heard later next month.
Patel has blamed the Department of Home Affairs for the fact he has two names and ID numbers.
Department spokesman Mayihlome Tshwete said: “The department is aware of the duplicate matter. We are in the process of finalising the probe and will inform the applicant accordingly.”