Jo-Anne Mantladi Mmela, a Middelburg attorney, has become the focal point of an intensified manhunt by the Hawks due to her involvement in a case of Road Accident Fund (RAF) fraud.
Middelburg attorney on the run over RAF Fraud
Mmela has been officially declared as a fugitive on the run by the Hawks’ Middelburg team.
The charges against her include fraud and theft, relating specifically to the misappropriation of funds from the RAF.
Mmela, who practised law under Mmela and Associates Inc., was entrusted to manage an RAF claim on behalf of a client’s child.
Despite successfully submitting the claim and receiving the funds in her trust account, it is alleged that she then transferred these funds to another account, falsely claiming to have deposited them into the account of the victim’s guardian.
How Jo-Anne Mantladi Mmela bailed
Mmela’s legal troubles began with her arrest on 20 September 2022, following thorough investigations into her activities.
She made her first court appearance the next day at the Middelburg Magistrates’ Court, where she was granted bail for R25,000.
The case was postponed to 5 December 2022, to allow for further investigations; however, Mmela failed to appear, prompting the current efforts to locate and apprehend her.
The Hawks have appealed to the public for assistance in tracking down Mmela, emphasising that any information provided will be treated with strict confidentiality.
“Anyone with information of the whereabouts of Jo-Anne Mmela is requested to contact the investigator on the following numbers: Warrant Officer Zandile Mashaba on 082 303 9880. All information received will be treated with confidentiality,” Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Thandi Tshabalala wrote in a statement.
