Durban attorney Ahmed Amod remains adamant that he has done nothing wrong regarding a dubious property scheme
Durban attorney Ahmed Amod remains adamant that he has done nothing wrong regarding a dubious property scheme which is now the subject of litigation that could see him sequestered.
Amod explained to the Mail&Guardian that he should not be in the dock for merely acting on instruction from one of his clients, estate agent Shanell Sewpersad.
He said this would form the basis of the legal arguments when the matter is heard again in January in the Durban High Court.
“I reiterate that my role was limited to that of an attorney administering funds on behalf of my client, Sewpersad. The applicant’s interpretation of any of my actions as unlawful are incorrect and a misrepresentation of the facts,” Amod said.
This is the latest round of a legal showdown between well-known Durban businessman Andrey Marimuthu and Amod.
Marimuthu filed the legal application, seeking Amod’s sequestration, alleging that he had paid millions into Amod’s trust account. The money was apparently meant for the purchase of properties at The Pearls in Durban’s upmarket suburb of uMhlanga.
Marimuthu asserts in his court application that he was duped into the scheme because he was under the impression that the millions would later be handed over to conveyancing attorneys for the purchase of what he was told were distressed sales.
The millions, according to Marimuthu, disappeared without a trace, leaving him in the lurch, and he is seeking court assistance to recover his money.
But Amod is sticking to his guns and said that, when he received the funds, he had no idea they were for property-related purchases. Sewpersad had told him it was investments and loans, which he duly complied with.
“The assertion that I willy-nilly paid out monies deposited to my trust account is denied, and it was done on instructions. All disbursements were done on Sewpersad’s instructions,” he said.
Marimuthu contends that a sequestration order declaring Amod bankrupt would allow a trustee to manage his assets. This, in turn, would allow the insolvent estate to be wound up, enabling the funds owed to Marimuthu to be recovered.
Asked for comment, Sewpersad told the M&G Amod had misrepresented her. She denied being involved in any clandestine property scheme with Amod.
“Please note that, as per my previous correspondence, information published in previous articles is false. I have documentation confirming this,” she said.
Sewpersad’s version is, however, contradicted by a police affidavit in the possession of M&G. The affidavit was signed on 7 March.
In the sworn statement, Sewpersad states in part: “I confirm that the funds owed to Mr Marimuthu will be paid by the 4th of April 2025. The funds will be paid in instalments from the 11th of March.”
The Durban High Court had provisionally sequestrated Amod.
The matter returns to court on 27 January, when Amod will plead his case, hoping to avoid the final sequestration.