21 November 2014
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Rural areas: FREE • Platteland: GRATIS
Fear lessl y the tr uth
R4
Another significant
Shock for legal fraternity
In a week of high drama during which wellknown Tzaneen lawyer Jenke Nagel has been suspended as a lawyer (and is expected to be struck from the roll soon), another prominent local lawyer, Mr Conrad Krüger, will also have to face the Law Society regarding serious allegations of “intolerable” conduct. Nagel will also have to deal with criminal charges, and so will Krüger who stand to be investigated by the Police’s commercial specialist investigators. An application by the Law Society to suspend Nagel was granted by the Gauteng North Supreme Court a week ago. Nagel did not oppose the application and it is now a matter of procedure (and time) before he will be struck from the roll of attorneys. The Court did not grant an application for suspension against his ex-partner, Ms Karin de Jager, and she may thus continue to practise as a lawyer. The firm Krüger Nagel De Jager, however, Jenke Nagel has been put under the curatorship of the Law Society to allow for an in-depth investigation to be completed. Mr Johan van Staden, a lawyer who is a full-time employee of the Law Society of the Northern Provinces, has been appointed as the curator. During the further investigations De Jager may not practise independently though. She will thus be practising in association with another lawyer for the time being. Complaints against Krüger were submitted to the Law Society during the past week. A group of people who bought erven in the Golden Acres Security Estate (developed by Krüger next to the Tzaneen Dam) appointed Mr Stephan van Rensburg to formulate
complaints against Krüger, which will enable both the Law Society and the Police to conduct their investigations into alleged criminal offences. Van Rensburg confirmed on Tuesday that he was busy with the “final touches” to the complaints that will be presented to the Police. He also confirmed that the complaints to the Law Society had already been submitted. A number of lawyers in Tzaneen have reacted to questions from the Bulletin in the past week, about the danger of the public beginning to perceive that the profession is no more than a crate filled with rotten apples. Since that matter is so sensitive it is understandable that the lawyers did not want to be identified. The ones we spoke to reacted en masse, saying that it is regrettable that a small community has had to face so many (about ten in the past four, five years) incidents lawyers having transgressed. “But it is an Conrad Krüger unfortunate coincidence and Tzaneen has a number of lawyers who respect their ethical code and practise faithfully and honestly — respecting their clients’ rights and defending their best interests,” they said with conviction. • Sadly, two new “lawyer shocks” are on their way and the Bulletin should be able to break the news next week Friday. We have full details of a serious matter that will be injurious to several members of the public, but we have been requested to hold back publication for a week for strategic reasons. In the other case we also have details of serious allegations that are being investigated. — Francois Aucamp
francois@bulletin.us.com
Die slang is nie in die gras nie, dis in die spruit se riete. En die probleem is niemand se maatjie nie, want daar is meer as een kabel en in elke kabel is daar ‘n kinkel. Die masjien wat op sy sy lê, is ‘n gekinkelde kabel, die bome wat onseremonieel vernietig is, is ‘n gekinkelde kabel en daar is meer. Lees gerus verder op bladsy 5 oor dié eietydse drama.
SA se Kommersiële boer van die Jaar is mnr Milaan Thalwitzer van Letsitele, hier saam met sy vrou Antoinette. Lees verder op bl 3.
Look for this logo next week, only in Bulletin