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[QUOTE="Queen, post: 86589, member: 27"]
A busted trust account shuffle has sidelined an attorney after the Supreme Court of Appeal refused to let him slip back into practice.

Allegations of trust money misuse
[LIST]
[*]Mmatlou Matsi of Matsi Law Chambers Inc handled Road Accident Fund payouts.
[*]Essie Emma Msiza was awarded R1.9 million in July 2019.
[*]Tshwene Julia Morifi secured R837,000 paid in October 2020.
[*]Maditati Merriam Mogorosi’s R300,000 landed in June 2019.
[/LIST]
Trust deficits and missing safeguards
[LIST]
[*]Legal Practice Council flagged tiny trust balances after large deposits.
[*]Records showed funds shifting between clients without proper cover.
[*]His firm operated without a valid Fidelity Fund certificate.
[*]Judges rejected COVID-19 and partner excuses as thin.
[/LIST]
Suspension upheld by higher courts
[LIST]
[*]Pretoria High Court Judge Norman Davis suspended Matsi in August 2023.
[*]The Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed his February 2024 appeal bid.
[*]Judge of Appeal Xola Petse compared the setup to a Ponzi scheme.
[*]Costs were imposed on a punitive scale against him.
[/LIST]
Consequences for clients and profession
[LIST]
[*]Victims waited months or years for injury payouts.
[*]Partial payments followed complaints, yet stress lingered.
[*]Council can push to strike him off permanently.
[*]Ruling warns lawyers that trust cash is untouchable.
[/LIST]
[/QUOTE]

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