Attorney's assets seized
2003-09-30 15:09
Pretoria - Investigators have seized assets worth about R3m from a Pretoria attorney facing charges of defrauding the Road Accident Fund.
These included bank accounts, two business premises, three BMW vehicles, and a house with furniture, said Pretoria area police commissioner Amon Mashigo.
The attorney, 44-year-old Karthigessen Pillay, is to stand trail on fraud charges in Pretoria's specialised commercial crime court from Wednesday.
He was arrested in December last year, and was out on bail of R50 000.
Mashigo said Pillay processed accident claims on behalf of several clients, but allegedly kept some of the money for himself.
It is alleged he has defrauded about 10 clients out of R1.2m since 1997, said Captain Piletji Sebola.
When police and members of the assets forfeiture unit raided Pillay's home in Laudium, outside Pretoria, they also arrested an illegal immigrant.
Sebola said the 29-year-old man, who claims to be from Pakistan, told police he had bought the house from Pillay.
This could, however, not be proved and it was found the man's travel documents were not in order.
- SAPA