• 3Sports
  • Home
  • MG Radio
3news
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • World
  • Showbiz
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
  • Tilapia
  • MORE
    • Education
    • Features
    • Tech
    • Health
    • GMB
    • Mentor
    • Coronavirus
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • World
  • Showbiz
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
  • Tilapia
  • MORE
    • Education
    • Features
    • Tech
    • Health
    • GMB
    • Mentor
    • Coronavirus
No Result
View All Result
3news
No Result
View All Result
Home World

UK-based Ghanaian lawyer ordered to repay £22,000,000 made from ‘fake claims’

January 6, 2019

The supercar-driving director of one of Britain’s biggest legal aid law firms has been ordered to pay back £22 million made from ‘thousands of fake claims’.

John Blavo’s firm, Blavo & Co Solicitors, was closed in 2015 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority when concerns were raised about its huge legal claims.

An criminal investigation into the fraud – which is still ongoing – was then launched by the Metropolitan Police, the Times reported.

RelatedPosts

Ghana and UK reach agreement to provide duty free economy

January 1, 2021

Coronavirus: New figures show UK faces ‘impossible balancing act’

September 8, 2020

UK travel quarantine rules come into effect

June 8, 2020

But a High Court judge has now ruled that Blavo’s firm entertained an ‘endemic’ culture of dishonesty and ‘systematic fraud’ after making thousands of false claims on the legal aid fund.

Blavo, 57, lived a life of luxury in a multimillion-pound house in St Albans, Hertfordshire, where he paraded a series of supercars and reportedly owned property across the world.

His children, Stephanie and Daniel, were privately educated and enjoyed trips to the races at Royal Ascot.

Blavo, from Ghana, has previously worked as a sports lawyer with several Premier League footballers, including former Arsenal right back Lauren and ex West Ham full back John Paintsil.

His firm, Blavo & Co Solicitors, was one of the largest three legal aid firms in the country – with 200 employees operating in 18 offices across England and Wales just four years after it was founded in 2011.

The firm specialised in mental health law but but also practised in criminal, clinical negligence, housing, immigration and family law.

At least 80 per cent of the firm’s £11 million annual turnover was derived from the legal aid scheme and, at its height, it was the second or third largest legal aid firm in England and Wales.

An investigation launched in 2015 by the Legal Aid Agency found that Blavo & Co made 24,658 legal aid fee claims for representing clients at mental health hearings between April 2012 and March 2015.

But investigators found a ‘very significant discrepancy’ between between claims made on the legal aid portal and cases recorded on the court service’s database, Law Gazette reported.

The Legal Aid Agency only found evidence of 1,485 of these cases taking place.

Lord Garnier, QC, said the agency must now carry out an audit to make sure no other dishonest claims were made.

Mr Justice Pepperall said that in some cases ‘the fraud went so far as forging false files’ but in many cases ‘false files were not created’.

Blavo – as the sole shareholder and manager of the firm – was ordered to repay £22,136,001 claimed for legal aid work which did not exist following a seven-day hearing in October.

‘I find that 42 out of the 49 files audited in July 2015 were not genuine files but were falsely created in order to justify dishonest claims for payment,’ the judge said.

Blavo did not give evidence during the hearing in October but his lawyer said that the allegation that the firm’s turnover was dishonestly obtained was ‘inherently implausible’.

MailOnline has contacted John Blavo for comment.

Source: Daily Mail

Previous Post

Western North dev’t lies in the hands of NDC only – Mahama

Next Post

BoG boss to chair Akufo-Addo’s Council to ensure financial stability

Related Posts

Business

Ghana and UK reach agreement to provide duty free economy

January 1, 2021
Top World

Coronavirus: New figures show UK faces ‘impossible balancing act’

September 8, 2020
Top World

UK travel quarantine rules come into effect

June 8, 2020
Top Story

UK to work with African Union to slow spread of coronavirus in Africa

May 20, 2020
Top World

UK economy shrinks at fastest pace since financial crisis

May 13, 2020
Top World

Rising UK care home deaths leads to record week

April 28, 2020
Next Post

BoG boss to chair Akufo-Addo's Council to ensure financial stability

Discussion about this post

Stay Connected

  • 1.7M Fans
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
20-year-old girl murdered at Doryumu

20-year-old girl murdered at Doryumu

January 12, 2021

Election Petition: EC admits possible errors in collation of presidential results

January 11, 2021
Chief Justice responds to Muntaka’s bribery allegation against a Justice of the Supreme Court

Chief Justice responds to Muntaka’s bribery allegation against a Justice of the Supreme Court

January 14, 2021
We all make mistakes, Mahama should have been kind with EC’s errors – Akoto Ampaw

We all make mistakes, Mahama should have been kind with EC’s errors – Akoto Ampaw

January 14, 2021
Williams sinks Barcelona and Athletic claim the Supercopa

Williams sinks Barcelona and Athletic claim the Supercopa

January 18, 2021

I’ll lockdown the country again if active cases of COVID-19 keep rising – Akufo-Addo

January 17, 2021

Don’t give me a reason to close down schools again – Akufo-Addo

January 17, 2021

Strictly enforce face mask wearing law– Akufo-Addo instructs IGP

January 17, 2021

Recent News

Williams sinks Barcelona and Athletic claim the Supercopa

Williams sinks Barcelona and Athletic claim the Supercopa

January 18, 2021

I’ll lockdown the country again if active cases of COVID-19 keep rising – Akufo-Addo

January 17, 2021

Don’t give me a reason to close down schools again – Akufo-Addo

January 17, 2021

Strictly enforce face mask wearing law– Akufo-Addo instructs IGP

January 17, 2021
3news

3news.com is the fastest growing news portal in Ghana. Get all breaking news updates, latest news headlines, local and world stories, showbiz, lifestyle etc.

Follow Us

Browse by Category

Recent News

Williams sinks Barcelona and Athletic claim the Supercopa

Williams sinks Barcelona and Athletic claim the Supercopa

January 18, 2021

I’ll lockdown the country again if active cases of COVID-19 keep rising – Akufo-Addo

January 17, 2021
  • 3Sports
  • Home
  • MG Radio

© 2021 Media General - Developed and managed by MG Digital.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • World
  • Showbiz
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
  • Tilapia
  • MORE
    • Education
    • Features
    • Tech
    • Health
    • GMB
    • Mentor
    • Coronavirus

© 2021 Media General - Developed and managed by MG Digital.