Solicitor jailed for legal aid scam

' The plot was exposed by chance ' .........and they had claimed £430,000!

Seems to me, it is very likely that many more cases like this go undetected. These two in the story cannot be the only ones making false legal aid claims. When one considers the level of fraud in the UK in terms of claiming housing benefit, incapacity benefits, insurance fraud and other methods, it seems only logical that people will seek to defraud the LSC - who, let's face it, are over-worked and not really set up to detect this kind of thing.

If legal aid lawyers want to reduce the impact of the cuts - one objective would be to prevent fraud - which means pushing the MoJ for better safeguards. I'm sure the MoJ has no idea how much legal aid is being fraudulently claimed - compared to other Gov departments which are well aware of the problems they face.

why has my post and link to the story in The Independent about the NHS manager who was convicted and sentenced to 2 years 9 months for defrauding the NHS been removed? http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/exnhs-boss-jailed-for-pound20...
I cannot see how this constitutes abuse or is defamatory in any way, it is fact and a matter of public knowledge.

Obviously ex post facto Crown Court bills under the old regime. No way such criminality could happen with present fixed fee scheme. Loophole fixed methinks

Well, one in over 100,000 solicitors. Nice to see last commentator has a reasonable and proportionate view.

Failed asylum seeker becomes law costs draftsman and carries out large scale fraud. I assume said failed asylum seeker is one of those "vulnerable" individuals we hear so much about who shall be so badly affected by the legal aid cuts.

This whole sad affair is further evidence of the fact that the legal aid system has been abused for years by dishonest lawyers (to varying degress of dishonesty) and by those with unmeritorous cases keen (and encouraged) to "have a go" as "it's all free".

Question: Who says changes to legal aid isn't long overdue? Answer: Only those with a strong self-interest in the status quo.

The goverment have always been aware of the firms 'milking' the system but it does not matter to them as the money will be funnelled back in to the system in one shape or form. When the money is earnt it has to be spent and lets not forget taxed.

I know the Solicitor involved this case and in all my interactions with him he was polite,courteous and very knowledgeable. He represented all that you would expect to see of a well grounded solicitor and my views of him have not changed. How many more solicitors are out there carrying on far worse crimes? Because they have not been caught,it does not mean they are all innocent.
It is a pity that this man's career has gone up the Creek but I pray that he has the fortitude to overcome this setback in his life.

Reading this article and comments left by readers makes me mad and at the same time saddens me; another person let down by the British Criminal Justice System. Many of us are quick to make judgement of people by what is put out by reporters and yet if we were prepared to make such snap judgements then we should be able to do our own research into the individuals involved to avoid prejudice. I happen to know the costs draftsman Robert Odong and with his character and aspirations he could never have knowingly involved himself in any criminal activity or conspire to commit fraud and especially towards a government body.

This case was based on 2 accounts of conspiracy to defraud the LSC; the question to be asked here is why a conspiracy? Isn't it possible that this lawyer was acting on his own after all there was evidence though not used in this case that this was not the first time he had fraudulently claimed legal aid in other cases, are we to assume that all the costs draftsmen who worked on the previous cases conspired with him?

The evidence presented in this case was also flawed, the main reason the costs draftsman is in prison is because he was manipulated by the lawyer under false pretenses that he was too ill to complete the case notes and expenses so the costs draftsman ends up doing the job the lawyer was meant to do heavily implicating himself as a conspirator. If he had stuck to his job as a costs draftsman he would not be in this situation.

The lawyer having worked in this environment for a while knew he had a great opportunity to exploit when he met the costs draftsman:
1. He was not properly trained but had self taught the skill of costs drafting and freelancing with different firms
2. He was a immigrant with few jobs coming his way so eager to please any employer so they could throw more jobs his way. Many people may not be aware that many immigrants in developed countries especially from third world counties when they find their first steady jobs they go out of their way to make sure that the job is done to perfection in the hope that their employers will keep them on for long.
3. Naive and wanting to please.

My last observation is, if your fraud is successfully wouldn't you share the proceeds amongst the conspirators? Did the costs draftsman get any substantial fee from the 430,000? The answer is no, I rest my case.

As for the owner of this article the judge never called Robert Odong ruthless this comment was directed only to the lawyer. It is not always good to kick a man when he is down, it is bad enough that he has wrongly convicted don't slander his character as well.

At that sentence it's a month in prison for £13,000. That's £117 per billable hour. No wonder he did it.