Lawyer failed to make mortgage payments for client
A former solicitor maintained his innocence yesterday after receiving a jail term of 15 months for misappropriating $250,000 from a client.
The professional life of Issac Rahmat Sadiq, 53, was in ruins following his conviction for stealing money from his client, Chan Wai-ming, between May and July 2001, District Court Judge Bernard Whaley said.
Prosecutor Richard Donald told the court that Sadiq, who was formerly a staff lawyer of Haldanes Solicitors, started his own firm after he bought the Yuen Long branch office of Haldanes. He named his firm 'Messrs Sadiq Solicitors'.
Chan was a client of Haldanes after he was arrested and charged with operating a pyramid scheme.
While the money in his bank accounts was frozen following his arrest in 2000, the High Court granted Chan an order allowing him to release $250,000 to the law firm so he could make monthly mortgage payments.