Bogus lawyer sentenced for impersonating legal practitioner in court
A bogus attorney who used forged legal documents to deceive clients has received a six-year prison sentence.
The Specialised Commercial Crime Court in Rustenburg has sentenced 43-year-old Johannes Tebogo Motse to six years in prison for falsely presenting himself as a legal practitioner. Motse operated for months without proper registration, deceived several clients, and forged legal documents to carry out his fraudulent activities.
Bogus Legal Practitioner, bogus appeals and forged Documents
Between February and November 2022, Motse unlawfully appeared in court as a legal practitioner and accepted cases despite lacking any legal qualifications. He even forged a fidelity fund certificate, an admission certificate, and a right of appearance certificate to support his false claims. In one case, he charged a victim R15 000 to file an appeal but failed to provide any legal service.
When the client discovered that the appeal had not moved forward, they contacted the police. Investigators quickly found that Motse was not registered with the Legal Practice Council of South Africa.
Sentence Reflects Severity of Crime
Motse admitted guilt to three counts of fraud, one count of theft, two counts of forgery, and two counts of uttering. The court grouped the fraud, forgery, and uttering charges together and sentenced him to six years in prison. For the theft charge, the court handed him a two-year suspended sentence on the condition that he repays the R15 000 to the complainant by 31 August.
He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm in terms of Section 103 of the Firearms Control Act. Advocate Matshidiso Ramakgaphola stressed that such crimes are growing frequently and must be dealt with firmly.
NPA Applauds Successful Prosecution
The Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, Dr Rachel Makhari, welcomed the ruling and praised the state advocate for her work.
“These sentences underscore the NPA’s commitment to combating bogus legal practitioners and protecting the integrity of the legal profession and the public,” said Dr Makhari.