A Port Elizabeth attorney appeared in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court for allegedly stealing from a trust account, the Hawks said on Thursday.
Captain Anelisa Feni said 56-year-old Louis Erasmus appeared in the court on Wednesday for theft and money laundering amounting to about R1.2 million.
It is alleged that the offences were committed between August 2011 and July 2012 and involved his clients' funds, which were kept in a trust account.
"He allegedly transferred some of the amount into various bank accounts," said Feni.
Erasmus was released on a warning and was expected to make his next appearance on May 21.