After successfully pursuing the directors and funders of the insolvent Aurora Empowerment Systems for damages caused to gold mines in their care‚ liquidators will now pursue claims against Michael Hulley‚ President Jacob Zuma’s lawyer.

In a High Court judgment on Thursday‚ Judge Eberhard Bertelsmann found Zondwa Mandela‚ the grandson of former president Nelson Mandela‚ Thulani Ngubane‚ Sulliman Bhana and his son Fazel liable in their personal capacities for the liabilities incurred by Aurora in managing the gold mines they had offered to buy from the liquidators of Pamodzi Gold.

While Judge Bertelsmann did not put a figure on these claims‚ John Walker‚ the lawyer representing the liquidators‚ said the claim could be as high as R1.7bn.

Khulubuse Zuma‚ President Zuma’s nephew‚ who was chairman of Aurora‚ is to be held liable for liabilities incurred by Aurora after December 1‚ 2009.

Mr Walker said similar claims would now be pursued against Mr Hulley‚ who Judge Bertelsmann named as a non-executive director at Aurora.

Judge Bertelsmann found the Aurora bid documents to secure the mines to not represent the true state of affairs in Aurora and contained inaccuracies and misrepresentations of the truth