The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has welcomed the arrest of a man who allegedly defrauded the Office of the State Attorney.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) arrested Advocate Hassan Ebrahim Kajee over the weekend following an SIU investigation and was released on bail of R20 000.
Kajee was a lawyer for the Office of the State Attorney and was appointed to represent the state in various matters.
“The arrest of Advocate Kajee follows an SIU investigation, which revealed that Advocate Kajee inflated invoices, invoiced for services not actually rendered and overcharged for alleged services rendered. Furthermore, Advocate Kajee would bill that he worked more hours daily than actual hours in the day and invoiced for work on different matters simultaneously.
“In line with the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act 74 of 1996, the SIU referred evidence pointing to criminal conduct to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for further action which in the arrest of Advocate Kajee,” the SIU said.
The matter is expected back in court next month.
The corruption busting unit has also hauled Kajee before the Special Tribunal in a civil case related to some R27 million damages case.
“[The] SIU is pursuing a civil case…against Advocate Kajee to recover approximately R27 million for damages the State suffered, because of the alleged corrupt and collusive relationship between the former head of the Office of the State Attorney [in] Johannesburg, Gustav Lekabe and Kajee.
“Lekabe is alleged to have briefed Advocate Kajee as counsel for the State in a plethora of matters in which the applicant charged for legal fees not actually rendered, doubled-charged for similar work done in a specific matter and double invoiced the Office of the State Attorney.
“The SIU is empowered to institute civil action in the High Court or a Special Tribunal in its name, to correct any wrongdoing uncovered during both investigations caused by acts of corruption, fraud, or maladministration,” the SIU said.