A lawyer from Sandton, Johannesburg, is facing serious accusations of stealing over R2.6 million from a widow and has now been ordered to provide a detailed account of the funds, which were the proceeds from the sale of a property in North West. Mohseen Mayet, along with his law firm, Mohseen Mayet Inc., was instructed by the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg to make all records related to five payments, totaling just over R2.6 million, available to the co- and joint executors of the late Abdullah Ellemdin’s estate, Zunaid Abdoola and Ahmad Bham.
The court’s order mandates that Mayet and his firm supply Abdoola, Bham, and the Legal Practice Council (LPC) with all records detailing the transactions from the firm’s trust account. This includes information about who received the funds and substantiating vouchers for the payments made. The Legal Practice Act requires that law firms maintain proper accounting records, which include details about money received and paid on behalf of clients, money invested, and any interest accrued.
Additionally, Mayet and his firm have been directed to hand over the entire file related to Ellemdin’s estate, including letters of executorship from the Master of the High Court. The court also declared Mayet and his firm jointly liable for over R2.52 million owed to Ellemdin’s estate, which has raised further questions about their handling of the funds.
Banking giant FNB, which holds the trust account, was also ordered to provide Abdoola, Bham, and the LPC with the bank statements for the trust account from April 2022 to the end of November 2022. Statements for other accounts operated by Mayet and his law firm during the same period were also requested.
In a significant legal move, the court has placed a freeze on Mayet’s ability to operate any of his law firm’s bank accounts, including both business and trust accounts. These accounts will now be under the sole control of his former law firm partner, pending an investigation by the LPC or further legal proceedings against Mayet. The court has indicated that if the firm’s handling of the trust account is found to be improper, a curator bonis may be appointed to manage the account.
In response, Mayet has defended his actions, claiming that he invested the funds with Abdoola’s instructions and authority, placing the money in a company called Ultimate Heli in 2021. According to Mayet, the sale of shares in this company would yield beneficial returns for Abdoola and the beneficiary of the estate, and he expects these returns to cover the owed amount by June 30, 2025.
However, the estate of Ellemdin rejected Mayet’s claims, dismissing them as fabricated. The estate made it clear that Abdoola reserved his rights against Mayet and rejected the offer to repay the funds by 2025, stating that none of Mayet’s proposed undertakings would be honored.
The ongoing case highlights the complexity of trust account management and the serious consequences that lawyers can face if they mishandle client funds. The legal battle over the missing funds is far from over, and the estate continues to challenge Mayet’s actions in an attempt to recover the stolen money.
