Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)

Joburg attorney in hot water for stealing client’s trust funds

- ANA REPORTER

FORMER attorney Shaun Muskat has been granted R10 000 bail after appearing at the Palm Ridge specialise­d commercial crimes court on charges of trust fund theft of approximat­ely R2.7 million.

Muskat, aged 37, appeared in court on Tuesday and his matter was postponed to April 14, Gauteng spokespers­on for the Hawks Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu said in a statement.

Muskat, who was the property conveyance­r at Muskat Attorneys based in Melrose Arch in Johannesbu­rg, allegedly pocketed money paid into his trust account by a potential property buyer in March 2017.

“Muskat who has since been sequestrat­ed and prohibited from practising as an attorney by the Law Society in 2018, handed himself at the Hawks’ serious commercial crime investigat­ion office in Johannesbu­rg accompanie­d by his lawyer on Tuesday ... and (was) subsequent­ly charged for theft,” Mulamu said.

In a similar case last year, North West attorney Isak Snyman was handed a 10-year sentence by the specialise­d commercial crimes court in Pretoria for theft of trust funds.

The Hawks said Snyman was hired in 2010 in Brits to purchase and register properties on behalf of clients and approximat­ely R4 million was deposited into his trust account. But instead of purchasing the properties, he misappropr­iated the funds.

Snyman pleaded guilty and his sentence was wholly suspended for five years on condition that he repaid the money. –

 ?? SERVICE SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE ?? JOHANNESBU­RG attorney Shaun Muskat, who was barred from practising by the Law Society, is now facing criminal charges of theft. l
(SAPS)
SERVICE SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE JOHANNESBU­RG attorney Shaun Muskat, who was barred from practising by the Law Society, is now facing criminal charges of theft. l (SAPS)

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