Four claim R10m from KZN law firm

Four claim R10m from KZN law firm
2011-12-05 20:01


Pietermaritzburg-

Four plaintiffs claimed more than R10m from prominent firm of attorneys Garlicke and Bousfield in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg on Monday.

The claims arose from bridging finance deals made by executive consultant and practising attorney Colin Bernard Cowan, 71.

Cowan died after apparently putting a gun to his head and pulling the trigger at his Durban swimming pool in November last year.

Garlicke and Bousfield has resisted the claims, alleging that Cowan concluded agreements for his dishonest purposes and neither for the purposes of nor in the interests of the firm.

However, it was claimed for the plaintiffs that the firm knew what Cowan was doing and allowed him to conduct the business.

He conducted the business and operated it in the firm's office and advised the public about it.

An allegation was that the firm represented expressly or implicitly, by words or conduct, that Cowan was authorised to conduct a bridging finance business on its behalf.

This would be in its interests and for its benefit.

Further, Garlicke and Bousfield had allowed its trust account to be used for receipts and payments in respect of the business.

Garlicke and Bousfield has launched actions against insurers, claiming that if it is held responsible for the claims, the insurers must be liable.

The plaintiffs are Tower Bridge SA (Pty) Ltd, Neil Douglas Rodseth, Merlin Stuart Stols and David Jaffit.

Judge Isaac Madondo reserved judgment.


- SAPA

Read more on: pietermaritzburg

Lawyer on fraud, theft charges

Lawyer on fraud, theft charges
PHILANI NOMBEMBE |
23 August, 2011 00:54
Cape Town lawyer has been accused of putting her hands in the cookie jar by defrauding a company of R2-million.
Antoinette Le Roux, 33, was represented by a Legal Aid lawyer when she appeared in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court to answer to fraud, theft and money- laundering charges.

Le Roux allegedly obtained the money from W Capital Finance, which she used as a "bridging finance" company and was supposed to have deposited it into her trust account but allegedly transferred the money into her personal bank account over a nine-month period between 2008 and 2009.

She is also accused of manufacturing "false vouchers" to cover her tracks.

The money was intended for the purchase of school books. The state claims she failed to keep proper accounting records and spent the money.

Le Roux operated a legal practice, A Le Roux and Associates in Paarl and "solely" used the company for "arrangement of bridging finances". According to the charge sheet, Le Roux established a relationship of trust with the company.

"She had created false vouchers and she presented [them] as legitimate, that the payments of books that she was authorising were not supplied nor delivered to the various [schools]," the charge sheet reads.

Magistrate Amrith Chabilall postponed the matter to September 6 to allow Le Roux time to consult her lawyer. She is out on a warning.