THE Rustenburg Regional Court postponed the case against EFF councillor and former North West provincial legislature member Betty Diale (52).
She appeared in court on Tuesday, 28 November, and the case was postponed to 1 December 2023 for trial.
Diale has appointed an attorney. She had previously indicated that she would represent herself during proceedings.
The new attorney made an application before court to be given time to familiarise himself with the contents of the case and for consultation.
Diale's representations to request the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to withdraw her charges were previously rejected.
State prosecutor Ace Moeta strongly opposed the application, citing that the case has been dragging since 2021.
Moeta said the state has been ready to proceed with the trial for a long time, but it’s been postponement after another which cannot be accepted any further. The court states that any further delays will not be accepted.
Daile and her attorney were given the coming two days to consult. She will then appear before court on Friday, 1 December 2023 for trial. The court also hopes there won’t be any further delays recorded as the matter has been postponed on various occasions.
ALSO READ: EFF councillor's theft case in limbo
Diale is facing six charges of theft, amounting to approximately R700 000, allegedly stolen from the Road Accident Fund (RAF) claimants.
Police reports reveal that the Legal Practice Fidelity Fund received several complaints from the RAF claimants, whose payments were deposited into Diale’s trust account.
The claimants alleged that the said money did not reach them after the pay-out, and subsequently reported to the police for investigation. Victims who attended the court that said they were not ready to speak regarding the matter.
Diale was practicing as an attorney during the alleged commission of the crimes between 2009 and 2011 and was subsequently charged with six counts of theft in June 2021. The Legal Practice Council has struck her off the roll, preventing her from practicing as an attorney.
