Key Takeaways:
- Emoldah Manamela, a disbarred lawyer, is facing five more charges related to fraud and is a person of interest in at least 20 other cases.
- Manamela is accused of defrauding prospective home buyers of their hard-earned money, with estimated losses in the millions of rand.
- One of her victims, a Limpopo teacher, was scammed out of R192,000 after taking a loan to buy a house that did not exist.
- Manamela was arrested after her police officer husband handed her over to the authorities and is currently being held in custody.
- The state has opposed bail, and the matter has been postponed to December 15.
Introduction to the Case
A disbarred lawyer, Emoldah Manamela, is facing five more charges related to fraud and is believed to be a person of interest in at least 20 other cases. Manamela, a former conveyancing lawyer, was arrested last week and appeared in the Pretoria magistrate’s court yesterday, charged with defrauding eight victims who have since opened criminal cases against her. The victims claim that Manamela defrauded them as a conveyancer between 2019 and 2022, with estimated losses in the millions of rand.
The Story of a Scammed Teacher
One of Manamela’s victims, a Limpopo teacher, came forward to share his story of how he was scammed out of R192,000. The teacher, who asked not to be named, said he had taken a loan to buy a house that was advertised near Tembisa Hospital. He had been dealing with Manamela, who was representing herself as a conveyancer, and had paid her R192,000, which he had taken as a loan. However, seven days before he was due to move in, he received an anonymous call informing him that he had been scammed. When he went to the house, he found an old lady who knew nothing about Manamela or the house being sold. The teacher is now left with a debt of R192,000, which he is still paying off at a rate of R4,000 per month.
Manamela’s Background and Arrest
Manamela is believed to have defrauded her clients millions of rand and had been evading arrest until her police husband handed her over to the authorities last week. The Legal Practice Council (LPC) confirmed that Manamela was struck off the roll of qualified practitioners in October 2022 for several transgressions. During Manamela’s appearance in court, the state revealed that it will add five additional charges of fraud against her. According to the charge sheet, Manamela is alleged to have stolen a total of R580,000 from three clients who were either buying or selling houses in the Pretoria area between 2019 and 2020.
New Charges and Investigation
The five new cases to be added to the charge sheet involve a sum of about R600,000. The charge sheet states that in May 2019, Manamela defrauded a client of R170,000, and in August that year, she defrauded another victim of R260,000. On the third charge, between April and October 2020, she defrauded another client of R150,000. The state prosecutor, Chris Maruma, revealed that Manamela had four outstanding warrants of arrest against her that had not yet been effected. Maruma asked that the matter stand down for further investigation, and the state opposed bail. The matter was postponed to December 15, and Manamela was remanded in custody.
Ongoing Investigation and Call for Victims to Come Forward
A source close to the investigation told Sowetan that Manamela had been evading arrest since 2021 and could possibly be linked to more than 20 cases that were opened in Sunnyside. Investigators believe that she is a person of interest in those cases. After her arrest, police district spokesperson Cpt Johan Van Dyk urged anyone who may have been targeted by Manamela to come forward. The investigation is ongoing, and the authorities are working to consolidate the charges against Manamela. The case highlights the importance of verifying the credentials of professionals, especially in the legal and financial sectors, to avoid falling victim to scams and fraud.