A second Birmingham solicitor has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT).
Zia Latif, formerly of AKZ Solicitors, Alum Rock, was struck off at a hearing last Tuesday (21 October) in a case brought by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Mr Latif admitted all the allegations against him, which were: he failed to maintain properly written up books of accounts, caused or permitted monies to be withdrawn from client bank accounts in breach of the Solicitors Accounts Rules 1998, gave false and misleading explanations to the SRA, practised as a Solicitor without indemnity insurance cover and failed to deliver an Accountant’s Report.
Dishonesty in relation to the allegation that he gave false and misleading explanations to the SRA, which was also admitted. As well as being struck off, he was ordered to pay £22,500 costs.
In February 2014, Kamran Malik of AKZ Solicitors was sentenced to five years in prison in criminal proceedings at Birmingham Crown Court for four counts of money laundering, four counts of mortgage fraud, and one count of perverting the course of justice.
He was also struck off last month after the Tribunal found his convictions meant he had failed to uphold the rule of law and the proper administration of justice, failed to act with integrity, and failed to behave in a way that maintained the trust the public placed in him and in the provision of legal services.
Gordon Ramsay, SRA Director of Legal and Enforcement, said: "Solicitors hold positions of trust and Mr Latif abused that position. He also made misleading statements, which was dishonest, and we don’t want dishonesty in the profession.
"The tribunal’s decision is entirely appropriate."
Mr Latif has 21 days from the publication of the tribunal’s judgment to appeal.
