Middleburg – Female attorney – 42-year-old Jo-Anne Mantladi Mmela – accused of defrauding the Road Accident Fund (RAF) before skipping bail has been re-arrested and remanded in custody.
The attorney was re-arrested by the Hawks at her hideout in Hammanskraal, Gauteng, on Saturday, ( 24 February 2024).
Mmela was brought before the Middleburg Regional Court in Middleburg, Mpumalanga, on Monday, (26 February 2024), where she was remanded in custody.
Allegations are that in September 2022, the suspect claimed money from RAF on behalf of a client.
“It is alleged that the accused, who was an attorney practicing under Mmela and Associates, was appointed to assist with the Road Accident Fund claim on behalf of the complainant’s child,” said Mpumalanga Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Thandi Tshabalala.
“The accused submitted the claim to RAF. The claim was processed and payments were made into her trust account.
“The accused redirected the money to someone else’s account and claimed to have made the payments into the victim’s guardian account.”
Following an investigation into the matter, the accused was arrested on 20 September 2022.
“She appeared before a court, where she was released on R25 000 bail,” Tshabalala said.
“That is when the accused disappeared and failed to appear on the given date.
“The accused was traced and arrested in Hammanskraal.”
The fraud and theft case against Mmela will resume next week on Monday, (4 March 2024).
