The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) welcomes the arrest of a lawyer for the Office of the State Attorney, Advocate Hassan Ebrahim Kajee.

Adv. Kajee was arrested by the Hawks on 1 April 2023 on numerous charges of fraud. He appeared in the Johannesburg Regional Court on 3 April 2023 and was released on R20 000 bail. The next court appearance is on 25 May 2023.

The Office of the State Attorney often appoints counsel to represent matters on behalf of various state institutions. Kajee was appointed on various matters to represent the state.

The arrest of Adv. Kajee follows an SIU investigation, which revealed that Adv. Kajee inflated invoices, invoiced for services not actually rendered and overcharged for alleged services rendered. Furthermore, Adv. Kajee would bill that he worked more hours daily than actual hours in the day and invoiced for work on different matters simultaneously.

In line with the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act 74 of 1996, the SIU referred evidence pointing to criminal conduct to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for further action which in the arrest of Adv. Kajee.

The SIU was mandated by Proclamation No. R21 of 2018 to investigate certain allegations in respect of the affairs of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in so far as it relates to the Office of the State Attorney.

Meanwhile, the SIU is pursuing a civil case in the Special Tribunal against Adv. Kajee to recover approximately R27 million for damages the State suffered, because of the alleged corrupt and collusive relationship between the former head of the Office of the State Attorney, Johannesburg, Mr Gustav Lekabe and Kajee. Mr. Lekabe is alleged to have briefed Adv. Kajee as counsel for the State in a plethora of matters in which the applicant charged for legal fees not actually rendered, doubled-charged for similar work done in a specific matter and double invoiced the Office of the State Attorney.

The SIU is empowered to institute civil action in the High Court or a Special Tribunal in its name, to correct any wrongdoing uncovered during both investigations caused by acts of corruption, fraud, or maladministration.

Issued by Kaizer Kganyago, Chief : Stakeholder Relations and Communications, SIU, 4 April 2023