Legal Aid Fund Raided By Lawyer And Associates' Bogus Claims

A criminal defence solicitor and two legal associates plotted together to cheat the Legal Aid fund out of over £300,000 by ruthlessly inflating and forging every possible expense, a jury were told.

"These three defendants all had a financial incentive to maximise the claims and in a clearly fraudulent scheme they massaged and amended every category of expense claimable in their financial favour," prosecutor Mrs Janet Weeks told Croydon Crown Court.

Solicitor Reuben Ewujowoh, 44, of Blythe Vale, Catford,South-East London, boss of Rae and Co.(pictured) of Trinity Street, Southwark even claimed for 26 hours work in a single day and also forged travel expenses and other costs.

His two co-defendants are: legal executive Lloyd McDonald, 68, of Collins Avenue, Sutton In Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, and costs draughtsman Robert Odong, 33, of Bevin Court, Cruickshank Street, Gray's Inn, Islington, North London.

All three have pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation in relation to two criminal trials and Ewujowoh alone denies one alternative count of fraud in relation to the second trial.

It is alleged the three defendants plotted together between August 2 2007 and August 26 2008 to defraud Legal Aid in the case of Tsafack, which was heard at Leicester Crown Court and between July 30 2007 and August 26 2008 in the case of Rutayisere at Luton Crown Court.

The plot was exposed, the jury were told, by chance when the same Legal Aid determining officer happened to be working on claims for both trials.

"She immediately noticed in the case of Tsafack it was far in excess of claims by others solicitors who represented other defendants in the same case," said Mrs Weeks.

In fact, Ewujowoh claimed 111 hours more preparation time than any other solicitor instructed.

"There was, in her opinion, clear evidence of fraudulent claims. Much of which were false and forged."

McDonald brought the two cases with him when joining Rae and Co. and stood to receive 40%-50% of all fees paid by Legal Aid.

"He attended Leicester Crown court from his home in the Midlands, but they claimed as if he had commuted each day from London and submitted forged taxi receipts," explained Mrs Weeks.

Odong is a freelance costs draughtsman who stood to receive 5% of the Legal Aid payment, the court was told.

"He appears to be responsible for hand-written alterations to attendance notes and taxi receipts."

A total of £163,769 was claimed for the Tsafack case - more than double any other solicitor - even though Ewujowoh had been instructed for up to nine months less than the other lawyers.

All preparation work was charged at the Category A rate of £167.25 per hour and a 200% uplift was successfully claimed on further expenses due to the complexity of the work.

"Mr. Ewujowoh is claiming to work more than twenty-four hours in a twenty-four hour period, claiming twenty-six hours day after day after day," said Mrs Weeks.

"The Crown say they sought to get as much as they could, the maximum out of these cases, but what caught them out is that they have done it for two cases side by side and there are not enough hours in the day.

"This was systematic fraudulent claiming."

The trial continues.............