Cape Town attorney sentenced for R24m RAF fraud

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Brian Albertus Baumann, 53, was arrested by the Hawks in February after an investigation uncovered that he had helped himself to RAF payouts that were due to his clients.

The sentence was handed by the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Bellville on Monday.

He practiced as an attorney between January 2018 and December 2019 in Bellville under the name BA Baumann Attorneys, and submitted various claims on behalf of victims against the Road Accident Fund (RAF).

In a statement, the Hawks said Baumann entered into a plea and sentence agreement where he was found guilty on multiple charges of fraud.

“Baumann was sentenced to 12 years direct imprisonment. Additionally, the court ordered an inquiry to determine the amount of the confiscation order,” said the Hawks.