WESTERN CAPE – Brian Albertus Baumann (53), a former attorney was sentenced by the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Bellville yesterday, 30 November 2020 on sixteen (16) counts of fraud worth over R24 million.
Over the period between January 2018 until December 2019, he practised as an attorney in Bellville under the name BA Baumann Attorneys and submitted various claims on behalf of victims against the Road Accident Fund (RAF).
Baumann was arrested on the 13 February 2020 following the Hawks Commercial Crime Investigation that uncovered that he helped himself to Road Accident Fund (RAF) pay-outs which were due to his clients.
He 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.