Cabeer Ahmed has been struck off the solictor’s roll after being found guilty of misconduct.
Prior to closing his firm, Ahmed used £100,000 from a client’s estate to re-pay debts he owed to HM Revenue & Customs and an indemnity insurer.
His misconduct resulted in the Solicitor’s Compensation Fund having to pay twice that amount out to cover the misdemeanour.
Legal Futures writes:
“Describing Cabeer Ahmed’s behaviour as an “abhorrent departure” from the standards expected of a solicitor, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) said he had shown a lack of insight by denying that he had breached the rules.”
In 2008, Ahmed received £440,000 into a client account. He later paid £240,000 to the beneficiaries of the estate.
The remaining £200,000 wasn’t paid to the beneficiaries and Ahmed was unable to explain where the money had disappeared to after the beneficiaries complained to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
The tribunal said the Ahmed “took advantage of vulnerable individuals“, and subsequently struck him off the roll and ordered him to pay costs just under £10,000.
