The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) will oppose the bail application of KuGompo-based attorney Precious Muleya, a Zimbabwean national facing charges linked to the alleged fraudulent submission of Road Accident Fund (RAF) claims valued at approximately R5.2 million.
Muleya made a brief appearance in the KuGompo Magistrates' Court. The matter was postponed to 9 October 2026 for a formal bail application, which the State intends to oppose.
Arrest and court proceedings
The accused, who had allegedly been evading arrest for some time, was apprehended at OR Tambo International Airport on 30 September 2026. She initially appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrates' Court in Gauteng before the case was transferred to the Eastern Cape for further proceedings.
Charges against the attorney
Muleya faces a charge of fraud, alternatively theft, arising from claims allegedly submitted to the RAF on behalf of at least 12 beneficiaries. At the time of the alleged offences, she was a duly admitted attorney of the High Court, practising under the name Precious Muleya Attorneys.
She is alleged to have submitted RAF claims on behalf of road accident victims from areas including KuGompo, Centane, Butterworth, KwaBhaca, Mdantsane, and Estcourt in KwaZulu-Natal.
Hawks investigation findings
Investigations by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) found that between 29 August 2019 and 19 February 2021, the RAF allegedly paid amounts ranging from R150 000 to R947 000 based on false information submitted to inflate the value of the claims.
The investigation further established that several claimants were allegedly neither assessed nor treated by the medical and professional practitioners whose invoices and medico-legal reports were submitted in support of the claims. These reports and invoices are alleged to have been forged and used to induce the RAF to make payments to which the claimants were not entitled.
NPA's commitment
The NPA said it remains committed to combating fraud and corruption, protecting public resources, and ensuring that those responsible for commercial crimes are held accountable through the criminal justice system.