Solomon Slom, an 82-year-old attorney, has been sentenced to ten years of direct imprisonment by the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. The conviction stems from 145 counts of theft and 145 counts of money laundering.
Investigation details
The investigation began after a case was opened at the Rosebank Police Station in February 2024 and subsequently assigned to the Hawks' Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit in Johannesburg. Slom, who was associated with Fluxman Attorneys, had been entrusted with managing a client's account containing approximately R45 million.
Discovery of the theft
An internal audit conducted by his business partner uncovered that Slom had embezzled R39 million through more than 140 separate transactions between January 2019 and January 2024. These funds were illicitly transferred into his personal bank accounts, leading to his immediate resignation upon the discovery of the theft.
Legal proceedings and sentencing
Following his surrender to authorities on 26 August 2024, Slom was initially released on R50 000 bail. He was later convicted on 05 June 2026. During the sentencing on 8 July 2026, the court imposed a ten-year direct imprisonment term for the 145 counts of theft and a concurrent ten-year term for the 145 counts of money laundering.
By invoking Section 280 of the Criminal Procedure Act, 51 of 1977, the court ordered that the sentences run concurrently, ensuring that the accused will serve an effective ten years of direct imprisonment.