A WARRANT of arrest was issued by the Rustenburg Regional Court against attorney Betty Diale (52) for failing to appear in court.
Diale, who is also a member of the Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) in the North West provincial legislature, is facing six charges of theft amounting to about R700 000.
The attorney allegedly stole the funds intended for Road Accident Fund (RAF) claimants.
The trial was set to start on Tuesday, 26 September and the accused provided no reasons to the court for her absence.
All necessary documents were provided to her in preparation for the trial as she opted to represent herself. A new trial date will be set following her arrest.
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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 payout, and subsequently reported to the police for investigation.
Diale was practising 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 practising as an attorney.
