Netizens have commented on the spate of news reports concerning lawyers in Singapore lately, with one noting, “Suddenly we seem to see many lawyers in trouble with the law”.
On Wednesday (May 11), the Singapore Police Force said that Violet Netto, who had represented Malaysian drug trafficker Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam in March of this year, is under investigation for being an unauthorised person acting as an advocate or solicitor.
A police report had been lodged against Ms Netto on Apr 27, the SPF added, as she had purportedly acted as an advocate and solicitor on at least three occasions, even though her practising certificate had expired.
One day before the news about Ms Netto broke, it was reported that lawyer and opposition leader Lim Tean will be charged in court on Thursday (May 12) with criminal breach of trust, unlawful stalking and being an unauthorised person who acted as an advocate or solicitor.
The SPF said on Tuesday (May 10), “Sometime in November 2019, Lim Tean was entrusted with a sum of $30,000, awarded to a former client as settlement in respect of a motor injury civil suit. Lim Tean is alleged to have misappropriated the $30,000”.
The police added that the charge of unlawful stalking relates to the alleged harassment of a former employee in 2020 by Mr Lim, while she was working at his law firm.
Moreover, the lawyer is also alleged to have acted as an advocate or solicitor without a valid practising certificate on 66 separate occasions between 1 April 2021 and 9 June 2021.
In the news recently as well are the 11 trainee lawyers who cheated in the 2020 Bar exams. Out of the 11, six had their admission to the Bar delayed, after the Attorney-General objected to their applications for admission.
In response to the lawyers in the news, netizens are asking why there are so many lawyers who themselves are not following the law.
Other netizens, however, defended Ms Netto.
One pointed out that the issue may have been brought up to “point fingers,” since Nagaenthran had already been judicially executed on Apr 27.
UPDATE: On Wednesday afternoon (May 11), in a video over Facebook, Mr Lim said that the person who had lodged a complaint against him, Suresh Kumar, did not appear at his disciplinary tribunal for Criminal Breach of Trust, and could not be contacted. He added that the Law Society has withdrawn the charge against him. /TISG
Police probes lawyer in prominent drug trafficking case for legal practice with expired certificate