No mercy for skelme lawyer: Attorney slapped with jail term after 48 charges
MANG TOE: Lawyer Rugaya van der Schyff. Picture supplied
A dikvel Cape Town attorney has been sentenced to 55 years in the mang for facilitating the sale of properties despite being disbarred.
Rugaya van der Schyff was sentenced at the Bellville Serious Commercial Crimes Court on 48 charges ranging from fraud, money laundering and theft.
Hawks spokesperson, Zinzi Hani, says this follows an investigation into charges of fraud and theft worth R500 000 but explains Van Der Schyff’s sentencing comes after years of court appearances.
Van der Schyff first landed in trouble in 2017 when she was struck from the roll of attorneys by the Western Cape High Court following an interdict application which was lodged the previous year.
Hani explains despite being disbarred, Van Der Schyff continued to operate and was busted two years later.
“Van der Schyff was first arrested in 2019 by the same team for misappropriating trust funds to the value of R4.8 million and subsequently released on R20 000 bail,” says Hani.
“In 2017, the accused was struck off from the roll of attorneys by the Western Cape High Court following an interdict application which was lodged in 2016.
“The Hawks investigation showed that she continued facilitating offers to purchase several properties from 2019 to date, knowing fully well that she was disbarred from practising as an attorney by the Western Cape High Court.
“The misappropriation was done in her professional capacity as an additional duty of care and diligence in dealing with the transfer of properties and the Registrar of Deeds.”
Van der Schyff was busted again in October last year where she then faced the 48 charges.
Hani says she was sentenced to a combined 10 years imprisonment for two counts of money laundering, four years imprisonment for contravening the Legal Practice Act (LPA) 28 of 2014.
“Moreover, she was sentenced to another 10 years for nine counts of fraud and a further 18 years for four additional counts of fraud, suspended for five years with conditions.
“On 30 counts of theft, the former attorney was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, while an additional three years imprisonment was suspended for five years on an additional count of theft.”
The court ordered that all sentences imposed should be served concurrently and Van der Schyff will effectively serve 10 years behind bars.