Lawyer Haroon Ali Shah’s name is to be struck off the Roll of Legal Practitioners.
The order to strike out his name was given by the Independent Legal Services Commission after he was found guilty of seven counts of professional misconduct and two counts of unsatisfactory professional conduct.
Shah has been permitted to continue practise for a period of 28 days from today to wind up his practice.
Within this time – he is not allowed to make any court appearances or accept new cases.
Shah has also been ordered to pay over $16,000 in costs to the Commission and the Chief Registrar.
The Commission heard that in the late 1980’s Shah was instructed by a Bal Ram to act on behalf of his daughter to pursue a claim for damages following a traffic accident that killed his husband and injured her children.
The claim was settled and $70,000 was paid to Shah by an insurance company.
He failed to inform Ram and his daughter but after enquiring for over two and a half years – they were paid $50,000. $20,000 was deducted as a fee with no receipt issued.
The $70,000 was not recorded in the annual trust account certificates provided to the Minister for Justice and the Fiji Law Society.
