EAST LONDON – A 43-year-old male was arrested by members of the East London Commercial Crime Unit recently, on 20 September, in Mdantsane on charges of fraud, forgery, uttering, and impersonating a legal practitioner.
According to police spokesperson, Captain Hazel Mqala, the suspect allegedly pretended to be a property lawyer handling house sales and operated under bogus companies, namely Native Sense Property Management, Skade Attorneys, and Pakade Attorneys.
She said through these fraudulent entities, he reportedly sold houses around Buffalo City District, particularly in Mdantsane and East London, without the knowledge or consent of the rightful property owners.
“Investigations revealed that prospective buyers, who believed they were purchasing legitimate properties, deposited money into the suspect’s bank account. The properties were priced between R120,000 and R250,000, with the total value of transactions amounting to approximately R1.3 million,” she explained.
She added that further investigations confirmed that the suspect is not a registered attorney and has no authority to practice as a conveyancer.
“The accused appeared before the East London Magistrate’s Court on 22 September 2025, where his case was remanded to 30 September 2025 for further investigation.”
