The former lawyer and EFF leader in the North West, Betty Diale, will know at the end of the month whether her representations to the director of public prosecutions (DPP) have been accepted.
Diale (52) appeared in the Rustenburg Regional Court on Tuesday on charges of theft.
Henry Mamothame, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), says that if the representations are rejected by the DPP, a new hearing date will be determined by all parties.
Diale is facing six charges of theft, amounting to approximately R700 000, which she allegedly stole from claimants of the Road Accident Fund (ROF).
Police reports reveal that the Trust Fund for Legal Practitioners received several complaints from the RAF claimants whose payments were deposited into Diale’s trust account.
“The plaintiffs claimed that the said money did not reach them after the payout and it was subsequently reported to the police for investigation. Diale practiced as a lawyer during the alleged commission of the crimes – between 2009 and 2011 – and was subsequently tried on six charges of theft in June 2021,” confirms Mamothame.
She was removed from the role and thus cannot continue to practice as a lawyer. She is also no longer involved in the EFF leadership corps in the North West.
According to Mamothame, a warrant for Diale’s arrest was previously issued because she failed to appear in court on September 26 and did not provide reasons for her absence.
She was arrested again on October 6 and released on a warning.
“An investigation was launched into her absence, and the court subsequently accepted her medical certificate as proof of her absence. All necessary documents were provided to her in preparation for the hearing, as she indicated that she would represent herself during proceedings.”
