This today in the Cape Crimes:
"THE lawyer employed by the University of Cape Town to give it legal advice, Paul Ngobeni - found guilty of misconduct and barred from practising in three American states - says news of his difficulties emerged only after he leapt to the defence of embattled Cape Judge President John Hlophe.
It was a smear campaign by some whites, said Ngobeni."
Really? Not just by people concerned that UCT may be employing someone whose professional reputation is besmirched? Oh, and it gets better:
"Ngobeni said he did not have to inform UCT of the charges and convictions before his appointment, as they were public knowledge and had been published on the internet. "
Riiiiight.... So as long as it is on the internet - somewhere - you are not under any obligation to inform your new employer that there may be some rather large problems looming up on the horizon? And as for the statement that "...the matters before the US court "will be dismissed as frivolous and unfounded", you might take a look at this....
I will be reading further developments with great interest.
16/11/2007, 16:01
Well, I think that last question sort of answer's itself, given that the person in question has adroitly mastered the subtleties of representing class action lawsuits against (it would appear) several randomly chosen companies in a foreign court for their actions in a different country which - if successful - would raise far more penetrating questions about legal jurisdiction and the drive for American hegemony.
16/11/2007, 17:10
OK, DA, so I was devil's-advocating there a little...B-) And yes, I have to wonder just what arguments he would have been ALLOWED to put to anyone, given that he is not qualified to practice law in SA?
But now you've explained yourself so well, I must say I cannot abide an admissions policy which simply and baldly goes by old apartheid-era race classifications: why not simply adopt a biased-by-social-background policy? Which will, given that a greater proportion of "African" students belong to such a demographic, target almost the same population? But you are right, an argument for another place and another day. Back to the Deputy Reg!
21/11/2007, 09:02
Anyone else notice the front page of the Cape Times this morning. Our dear Deputy-Registrar in trouble again; arrested in the States (where is defending himself against all his previous misdemeanours) for not paying maintenance. OK, so this does not reflect on his capacity to do his job, but does anyone else catch more than a sense that this guy is a walking PR disaster?
Just cast your mind back to some of the highlights since his appointment ...
*The boarding school for rich whites;
*The conspiracy against him for standing up for Hlophe
*The fatuous explanation as to why he did not need to inform a prospective employer of the charges against him
*The possibility that he is not qualified to practice law in South Africa (which has not yet been refuted)
Eish.
21/11/2007, 10:10
From politics web: http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71619?oid=84364&sn=Detail
Seems his paranoia (evidenced by the 'fields of ad hominem attacks' referred to by one of the judges in the US) is not restricted to White South Africans after all.
But all the more, a walking PR disaster....
==
Ngobeni in difficulty in Connecticut criminal, civil, and family courts
The difficulties of Paul Ngobeni, the deputy registrar (legal services and secretariat) at the University of Cape Town, deepened last Friday after he suffered legal setbacks in the civil, criminal, and family courts in Connecticut.
In his criminal case a judge upheld his motion to dismiss on only one count (that of unauthorised practice of law) leaving four others standing. In his civil case a second judge denied his motion to have an earlier order set aside disbarring him from the practice of law for thirteen years. Although Ngobeni was meant to appear in person at this hearing, he was unable to after a state marshal arrested him on a capias that had been issued by a third judge in the family court in early August.
In Ngobeni's civil case Judge James P. Graham denied his motion to have an earlier default judgment, disbarring him from the practice of law for thirteen years, set aside. This means that the October 17 order still stands. UCT had granted Ngobeni a week's leave to appear in court in Connecticut on Friday.
However, shortly before he was due to appear he was taken into custody by a state marshal on a capias connected to an unrelated family court matter. This had been issued on August 3 2007 by Judge Jorge Simon of the Hartford family court after Ngobeni had failed to appear for a hearing. Ngobeni posted bail on Friday and will be appearing in the Hartford family court early this week.
On Monday Ngobeni filed an emergency motion to have the disbarment matter re-heard. He stated that "At the time the Court proceeded with the hearing and issued its ruling" he was incarcerated and thus prevented from being physically present in court. He argued that under these circumstances it would be "unjust and inequitable" to deny him a re-hearing.
In a judgment on his criminal case, also issued on Friday, Judge Robaina upheld Ngobeni's motion to have the charge of unauthorised practice of law dismissed. The relevant statute under which he was being prosecuted stated that "a person who has not been admitted as an attorney" may not practice law. The judge ruled that since Ngobeni had been admitted as an attorney, even if he was under suspension, this provision could not be read as applying to him.
The judge however denied Ngobeni's motion to have the entire case against him thrown out of court. Ngobeni had called for this on the basis that "this prosecution is vindictive" and because of "proven prosecutorial misconduct."
The judgment noted that "reading the allegations contained in this portion of the defendant's motion to dismiss, one is forced to wade through fields of ad hominem attacks." The judge found that "there is no credible allegation or fact to support the claim of vindictiveness or animus." Accordingly, the court denied the motion to dismiss on either of these grounds.
This means that four of the five criminal counts against Ngobeni still stand: These are larceny in the sixth degree; forgery in the third degree; larceny in the fourth degree; and, larceny in the third degree.
At the time of writing a new court date had yet to be set for the criminal case.
21/11/2007, 11:30
"larceny in the sixth degree": that sounds so important, it should come with a sash, and possibly a funny hat. You know, like the 22nd Order of Freemasonry.
03/02/2008, 06:13
Mr. Ngobeni took money from me under false pretenses and is about to be sued once again and I agree with everyone how could such a university of that manner not do a background check to hire someone in a top post what does it say for their reputation maybe they should just hire the garbage collectors to teach there, oh and by the way mr. ngobeni blaming whites for his charges he should blame his dishonesty and the fact that his ex wife that he claim is back in the south africa is also white and is also charging him for fraud and he loves white women in the us so who is he trying to fool. you will pay for what you did to me and so many others. Mr.Ngobeni defrauded me when he already knew that he was being accepted in UCT and pretended to practice law and stole my money I am not a happy camper.
12/02/2008, 23:43
Iam actually writing from abroad, appalled and angry that Paul Ngobeni was supposed to be representing me on two of my cases. I have been trying to get hold of him for months and the next thing I find out that he left the country!!! I am South African , mind you, and very African!! He needs to come back here and face his music.
03/03/2008, 17:12
By Paul Ngobeni - Deputy Registrar Legal Services, University of Cape Town, 8 January 2008 http://amadlandawonye.wikispaces.com/Open+letter+Chaskalson+and+Bizos,+Paul+Ngobeni
It seems as though this chap is still employed by the University. What is happening?