THOHOYANDOU - The former boss of the Kopanang/Tanganani pyramid scheme is languishing in prison cells, after she failed to pay legal costs to lawyers who represented her during her bail application.

Dorcus Mado Pitso (30) of Kleksdorp in North West was denied bail in the Thohoyandou District Court on August 23, where her case was postponed to April 13 2003, for further investigations.

Her legal representatives from Matodzi Attorneys did not make an appeal for her bail application within fourteen days from the day her bail was denied, because she owes them about R60 000 balance of her legal costs.

Pitso, whose bail application was postponed five times before it was denied, only paid R10 000 deposit to her lawyers. She was arrested by the Limpopo Commercial Unit in June this year, together with her husband Frank Kutumba Kwezi (33), for allegedly defrauding more than R15 million from unsuspecting investors in Kimberly and Thohoyandou.

The schemes were illegally operated between 1996 and 1997.

Initially the couple was both represented by Matodzi Attorneys in their bail application, but later Kwezi decided not to apply for bail.

Last week, the Asset Forfeiture Unit seized a tombstone worth R110 000 and several homes and cars in Klerksdorp to recover losses incurred by the investors. The tombstone was placed on Pitso's mother's grave who passed away in 1999. The spokesperson for the unit, Sipho Ngwenya, said they have swooped on two homes and a hairdressing saloon in Klerkdorp and a house in Plattekloof in Cape Town.