THE country's leading black lawyers say Seth Nthai must be "presumed innocent unless proven otherwise".

THE country's leading black lawyers say Seth Nthai must be "presumed innocent unless proven otherwise".

Dumisa Ntsebeza of Advocates for Transformation (AFT), said yesterday his organisation recognised the "gravity of the allegations" against senior counsel Nthai, a member of AFT.

"We also ask that the right of Nthai to be presumed innocent unless proven otherwise, be respected," Ntsebeza and the Black Lawyers' Association president Nano Matlala said.

Nthai, who was vice-president of the Bar Council, resigned as an advocate last week.

This was after an Italian businessman, Mario Marcenaro, made tape recordings of Nthai allegedly asking for a "possible reward" in a settlement of an international case. Marcenaro's lawyer, Toby Landau, used the tapes to lodge an official complaint at the Bar Council.

Nthai was representing the South African government in Washington at the time, which reportedly had not instructed him to negotiate a settlement or "reward" with Marcenaro.