GAUTENG — Former attorney Solomon Slom has been handed a 10-year direct prison sentence for the R39 million theft and subsequent money laundering of client trust funds. The 82-year-old legal practitioner’s decade-long incarceration was finalized by the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, marking the conclusion of a high-profile financial crime investigation in Johannesburg.
While employed at Fluxman Attorneys, Slom was entrusted with the administration of a client account containing approximately R45 million. The financial breach was uncovered following an internal audit initiated by his business partner, which exposed over 140 unauthorized transfers. Between January 2019 and January 2024, Slom systematically diverted R39 million into his personal banking channels. Upon the fraud’s exposure, he promptly submitted his resignation with immediate effect.
The matter was formally escalated when a case was docketed at the Rosebank Police Station in February 2024. The Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit in Johannesburg took charge of the probe. According to the investigating authorities, Slom voluntarily surrendered to law enforcement on 26 August 2024. On that same day, he was processed, arrested, and subsequently granted bail set at R50,000 pending trial for the massive trust fund misappropriation.
The judicial process culminated in Slom’s conviction on 05 June 2026. During the sentencing phase on 8 July 2026, the court addressed the full scope of his 290 charges. He received a 10-year direct imprisonment term for Counts 1 through 145, pertaining to theft, alongside an identical 10-year direct imprisonment term for Counts 146 through 290, which covered money laundering.
Applying Section 280 of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977, the presiding judicial officer mandated that the money laundering sentence run concurrently with the theft sentence. As a result, the former attorney will serve an effective, non-suspended term of 10 years’ direct imprisonment.