/ 25 February 2007

Mandela’s lawyers take Ismail to court over money

Lawyers for former President Nelson Mandela will take Ismail Ayob to court over R2,2-million missing from the Nelson Mandela Trust, the <i>Sunday Times</i> reported in its early edition. They accuse Mandela's former lawyer, Ayob, of buying cars and paying hundreds of thousands of rands to his own companies.

Lawyers for former President Nelson Mandela will take Ismail Ayob to court over R2,2-million missing from the Nelson Mandela Trust, the Sunday Times reported in its early edition.

George Bizos and Wim Trengove accuse Ayob, Mandela’s former lawyer, of buying cars and paying hundreds of thousands of rands to his own companies.

Bizos and Trengove represent Mandela on the trust. Ayob was removed from the trust in 2005 after a court battle over the unauthorised sale of Mandela art works.

In an affidavit, Trengove claimed that Ayob made ”disbursements of more than R1,2-million and distribution of R700 000 from the trust’s bank account” without consulting the other trustees.

Ayob also made claims that Mandela refused to pay taxes and approved the dodgy payments, the report said.

The Sunday newspaper reported that Ayob had denied any wrongdoing and was defending the court action.The case would be heard in the Johannesburg High Court on Tuesday.

The report said that the money was part of the R18-million raised by Mandela from top businessmen, including the Oppenheimer family, for the benefit of his children and grandchildren.

It said other companies gave money to the trust, including Absa, Nedcor, FirstRand, MTN, Sanlam, Barloworld, Investec and Venfin, who donated R1-million each.

Businessmen Tokyo Sexwale and Mzi Khumalo also donated R1-million each. — Sapa