Serious Misconduct

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The Herald reported a decision of the Scottish Solicitors Discipline Tribunal (SSDT) the other day which resulted in a solicitor, Christopher Hales, being struck-off and removed from the profession.

Now I was a member of the SSDT for 8 years and I know from personal experience that the tribunal deals only with the serious allegations of professional misconduct, so for someone to be struck-off (the most serious sanction available) the evidence has to be convincing.

The SSDT's decision was given added spice because the solicitor involved acted for the Edinburgh West SNP MP, Michelle Thomson, and her husband who were partners in MF Property Solutions.

The Herald highlighted one of the property deals in which a pensioner with cancer who was desperate to return to England to be with her family sold her home in Stirling to former journalist and business partner of Ms Thomson, Frank Gilbride, for £64,000 in 2010.

Yet in what is known as a 'back-to-back' sale Ms Thomson bought the property that very same day for £95,000 and received a "cashback" of £28,181.80 from Mr Gilbride.

A very strange way of doing business if you ask me, because it suggests that property was being bought, sold and mortgaged for much less than its real value, which is presumably why the SSDT threw the book at the solicitor who facilitated the deal, Christopher Hales. 

Read the full article by following this link to The Herald online:

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13789456.Labour_demand__full_transparency__over_SNP_MP_s_property_deals/

Since writing this post I hear that Michelle Thomson MP who denies any wrongdoing has had the party whip withdrawn.

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