Lawyer found guilty of pocketing clients' $12,900
Published on May 20, 2013
Selena Chiong Chin May (above) was found guilty of six counts of criminal breach of trust of $12,900 and pretending that she was authorised to act as an advocate and solicitor. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW
By Elena Chong
A lawyer was found guilty of six counts of criminal breach of trust of $12,900 and pretending that she was authorised to act as an advocate and solicitor.
Selena Chiong Chin May, 41, a lawyer of 18 years' standing, was convicted by District Judge Salina Ishak after a seven-day trial of misappropriating various sums of money ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 paid to her four clients of the law firm C.H. Chan & Company. The offences took place when she was working in the firm as an associate from April 21 to June 16, 2010.
Chiong's defence is that the payments were made to her in her personal capacity and not as an agent of the firm.
The Legal Profession Act (LPA) charge states that she acted for a client in a divorce suit on May 9, 2010. Her practising certificate had expired on March 30 that year. It was not renewed until May 17 the same year.
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