Advocate arrested for fake credentials in Sandton

A 45-year-old advocate was arrested in Sandton in November last year on charges of fraud, as well as for violation of the Immigration Act of South Africa.

The social media platform known as X has been buzzing since December 30, with posts about a Zimbabwean woman having been arrested for working as an advocate while allegedly having fraudulent documentation.

The suspect is listed on search engines as being affiliated to the Grayston Chambers of Law in Sandton, which are no longer operational according to former head of the chambers Advocate John Kayser. Kayser furthermore detailed how the chambers worked when they were operational.

“I’m unaware of these allegations,” Kayser said on January 8, in a brief telephonic interview. “Each advocate was a practitioner in their own right, for their own account.”

Upon contacting police spokesperson Captain Jeff Phora on January 4, Sandton Chronicle learned that the case on the suspect had been building for a little over a decade before an arrest was made on November 3.

“According to the information at our disposal, police were following information they received from the public since 2010, and the suspect was arrested along Maude Street,” Phora said. “Our only challenge at this stage is that the case was transferred to provincial detectives, the docket is no longer with us, unfortunately.”

Sandton Chronicle contacted SAPS provincial spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili on January 4, as well, who indicated that the docket was no longer with SAPS as it had been handed over to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

Attempts were made to contact the NPA since January 4, for more information, though to no avail. The Sandton Chronicle will follow this story as it develops, and update readers as soon as more information becomes apparent.

Related Article:A 38-year-old man was arrested for fraud