23 June 2014


www.lawgazette.co.uk


IN PRACTICE 23


The applicant was ordered to pay costs of £1,477.


Chukwugozi Reeves Elumogo


• Hearing 3 April 2014 • Reasons 24 April 2014


• Application 11214-2014 • Admitted 2008


The SDT ordered that the respon- dent should pay a fine of £4,000. The respondent had failed to co-operate with an investigation by the Legal Ombudsman into complaints made by clients of IEI Solicitors and had thereby breached principle 6 of the SRA Principles 2011; had breached principle 7 of the 2011 Principles; had failed to achieve outcome 1.1 of the SRA Code of Conduct 2011; and had failed to achieve outcome 1.11 of the code. The SDT noted particularly that


there had been four separate inci- dences of non-compliance with four different clients. In view of the respondent’s explanation as to why he had not co-operated, blaming the staff


for poor communication and the com- plainants for going to the LeO instead of coming to him first, the SDT ques- tioned whether he showed genuine insight into his offence. The respon- dent had no previous appearances before the SDT and he had attributed his shortcomings in the present case to having health issues. However, there was no formal medical report commenting for example on how the condition or medication might have contributed to the problems and as such the SDT was unable to make any findings in that regard. Taking all these points into account, the SDT considered that a fine of £4,000 was the appropriate sanction. The SDT had been urged to impose


a restriction on the respondent’s future ability to practise. Although the SDT had found that it was a serious matter for a solicitor not to comply with his regulator, it was not appropriate to add a restriction on his future ability to practise; instead the SDT considered that any condition that the applicant might deem appro-


priate to place on the respondent’s practising certificate in the future was a matter for it to determine. The respondent was ordered to pay


costs of £3,000 to be paid by 31 August 2014.


Trinity & Co Solicitors On 13 May 2014, the Panel of Adju- dicators Sub-Committee resolved to intervene into the practice of Doe Fosuhene and into Trinity & Co Solic- itors, formerly at Suite Number 220, 1 Olympic Way, Wembley, Middlesex HA9 0NP. The ground for intervention was


that the committee was satisfied that there had been a failure to comply with the rules made by virtue of section 31, 32 or 37 (2)(c) of the Solicitors Act 1974 (as amended), namely the SRA Prin- ciples 2011, the SRA Code of Conduct 2011 and the SRA Accounts Rules 2011. John Gould of Russell-Cooke, 2 Put-


ney Hill, London SW15 6AB, tel: 020 8394 6400, has been appointed as the SRA’s agent. He took possession of Trinity & Co Solicitors practice papers


on Wednesday 14 May. Fosuhene’s current practising


certificate has been suspended with immediate effect. Fosuhene is chal- lenging the intervention decision.


Harvey Mckibbin Solicitors On 27 May 2014, the committee resolved to intervene into the above- named sole practice of Harvinder Kaur Mckibbin, formerly at 35/37 Market Street, Lichfield WS13 6LA, on the grounds that: (a) there was reason to suspect dishonesty on the part of Mckibbin in connection with her prac- tice; and (b) Mckibbin’s failure to com- ply with rules made under sections 31 and 32 of the Solicitors Act 1974. Mckibbin’s current practising certif-


icate has been suspended with imme- diate effect. John Owen of Gordons LLP, For-


ward House, 8 Duke Street, Bradford, BD1 3QX (tel: 01274 202164) DX: 11716 Bradford, has been appointed as the SRA’s agent. The first date of atten- dance was 29 May 2014.


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