Charges withdrawn against Elaine Bobroff

ANT KATZ

Elaine Bobroff, wife and mother of absconded personal injury lawyers Ronald and Darren respectively, walked into court last week as a defendant on bail, charged with fraud and money laundering of millions of rand, and walked out a free person. But it may only be a temporary reprieve.

A relieved 69-year-old Elaine Bobroff said to Jewish Report this week: “I’ve done nothing wrong.” But she is angry and traumatised.

Elaine says that the early-hours raid on her home in March which led to her appearing in the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court charged with fraud of R26 million and money laundering, has turned her life and that of her family upside down.

“They’ve destroyed my family, and they have done nothing wrong,” Elaine insisted.

RIGHT: Elaine Bobroff is a tireless communal worker. Her husband and son are fugitives in Australia – but she insists that they have done nothing wrong 

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesman for Gauteng, Phindi Louw confirmed to Jewish Report that “the case was provisionally withdrawn by the State pending further investigations”.

Elaine Bobroff, known as a tireless communal worker, will next month be presented with a prestigious award from the Jewish Women’s Benevolent Society for 40 years’ service. The JWBS is a 110-year-old organisation that works closely with the Chevrah Kadisha.

Elaine’s husband and son took flight to Australia in March after they had agreed to hand themselves over to the police to face charges of fraud pertaining to Road Accident Fund payments.

A highly placed and reliable source, who cannot be named, maintains that the amount of money overcharged, missing, misappropriated or due in unpaid taxes by Ronald Bobroff and Partners has passed R1 billion last week.

The Hawks referred the question of whether this figure was correct (the last reliable figure Jewish Report had was R550 million) to the NPA. “At this stage the NPA is not in a position to confirm the amount of funds till all investigations are finalised,” Louw said in response.

The NPA opened their own investigation in early May. “I can reassure the public that the matter is receiving the requisite attention from my office and that of other law enforcement agencies,” National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Shaun Abrahams said.

Abrahams added that the NPA was working very closely with the various enquiries that are taking place. “I will address the issue in greater detail in two and a half weeks’ time when I intend giving a press briefing in respect of the work of the National Prosecuting Authority.”

Jewish Report is still trying to establish whether this briefing ever took place.

The NDPP’s announcement of an investigation by the NPA added another investigation to the already long list of investigations against the Bobroffs, which include those of: The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks); the Law Society of the Northern Provinces; the Curator of the now-defunct legal practice; the Justice and Correctional Services Department; and the SA Revenue Services (SARS).

The Road Accident Fund also started combing through all their prior cases which involved the Bobroffs and in the first week laid almost 20 charges with the NPA, claiming that the errant lawyers had billed them, the RAF, for appointments supposedly held with clients – who subsequently denied that those meetings in fact took place.

Elaine Bobroff is adamant that her husband (whom she says had not consulted clients for a decade) and son were being persecuted and had done nothing wrong. She expects her family to be together again sometime soon, but says the saga has traumatised her family.