Pretoria - Controversial advocate Malesela Teffo is due to know soon whether his legal career is over, as the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, today reserved judgment in an application to have his name struck from the roll of advocates.
The court, however, promised to deliver its judgment as soon as possible, but the two judges presiding over the matter, said they needed to thoroughly consider the application brought by the Legal Practice Council (LPC).
Armed with no court documents, other than a copy of the Constitution, Teffo faced the judges in a bid to save his career. He blamed all for the allegations of misconduct brought against him.
“It is clear from the so-called applicant (the LPC) submissions that I am here because of the courts, the police, the national prosecuting authority and the office of the president of this country. They are all victimising me,” Teffo told judge Stanley Nyathi and Acting Judge T Bokako.
In a bizarre set of events, while the judges were telling the court that judgment was reserved, Teffo kept on interrupting them by telling them he wants an order compelling the LPC to hand over the file with all the allegations against him.
Judge Bokako patiently tried to explain to him that the court had reserved judgment in the application to have him struck from the roll and that the court had just given a ruling - that judgment was reserved.
But Teffo would have nothing of this. He kept on saying he demanded the file containing the allegations. While he was still stating his demands in this regard, Judge Nyathi announced that the court was adjourned.
The LPC this week told the court it had received 22 complaints against Teffo of misconduct, ranging from corruption allegations to alleged misappropriation of funds. Counsel for the LPC said that apart from these, there is at present an investigation against Teffo regarding corruption charges brought against him.
“He is not a fit and proper person to act as an advocate….It is not simply a matter that he had a moral lapse, we received 22 individual complaints,” Advocate Mfesana Ka-Sibotho said.
But Teffo said he was an advocate of good standing and he did not fear these “faceless people” who complained. “I only fear God,” he told the court.
Pretoria News