Parks Tafa's Collins Newman Under Curatorship
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Monday July 8, 2019 13:13
Deputy Registrar and Master of the High Court in Lobatse, Takura Charumbira this week temporarily interdicted Tafa from transacting the trust accounts of his law firm pending finalisation of the matter.
The arrangement follows a decision of the Law Society of Botswana (LSB) not to award Tafa practice licence for this year and applied for his firm to be placed under curatorship.
Charumbira appointed George Simanga, a certified auditor of the Abson Partners, as curator to take control and administer the trust accounts of Collins Newman & Co. “Tafa does not hold a practising certificate for the year 2019 and or has since been removed from the Roll by the Master of the High Court and or has abandoned his practice and or firm he cannot lawfully practise law,” read the order in part.
The order directs that the curator must have unlimited access to any records or documentation wherever situated to examine and interrogate any person and or employees (whether current or former) of the law firm for the purposes of discharging his functions.
“The said curator Bonis shall have powers to operate the said trust accounts as joint signatory with any person at senior management level of the said accounting firm as would otherwise have been operated by the said attorney Parks Tafa and or any person acting under his authority or instructions,” read the court order.
The order also directs that the appointed curator should have access to Tafa’s offices or any document storage facilities and instruct deputy sheriff where he seems necessary for purposes of ensuring access in order to discharge his functions.
Tafa is not the first prominent lawyer whose law firm has been put under the care of curators.
In 2017, LSB placed former member of Botswana Democratic Party disciplinary committee Isaac Seloko Attorneys law firm under the care of a curator.