Want to look after other folk’s cash? We’ve got a fraudster to tell you how
£50k scam solicitor to lecture on funds
A crooked lawyer jailed for a £50,000 legal aid fraud has been drafted in by a charity to give a public lecture on how to “access funds”.
Mark Strachan, 59, was sentenced to two years in 2014 after being found guilty of committing 341 separate frauds against the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB).
Aberdeenshire-based charity Gordon Rural Action (GRA) are charging members of the public £25 to hear him speak in Inverurie in May.
Strachan’s talk is about power of attorney – the legal right to look after someone else’s personal and financial affairs. Publicity for the event highlights key topics including how to “recognise alternative methods to gain access to money”.
The ad states: “Mark has a varied job history which, in addition to becoming a volunteer general adviser, involved being a practising solicitor and advocate.
“As such, he has a mass of legal knowledge and is qual i f ied in delivering first- tier advice and assistance in power of attorney.”
But it makes no mention of Strachan’s criminal past, described by a sheriff as “wilful, routine, organised and blatant”.
GRA, who have 17 staff, provide free advice about benefits, debt, housing, employment and consumer issues.
Since leaving prison, Strachan has also volunteered one day each week advising members of the public.
Last year, the charity received £94,106 of taxpayers’ cash from SLAB – the same organisation who Strachan defrauded.
Sandy Mitchell, a lawyer and GRA board member, said that the disgraced advocate had no involvement with SLAB-funded areas of their work.
He said: “He’s made no secret of his background at all. He came to us as a volunteer having served his sentence and offered his extensive knowledge to us.
“We don’t regard it as a big deal because his charitable work has no access to funds and it’s simply passing on knowledge to the public, under supervision.
“In his own words, he sees it as trying to give something back to the community. He’s a very well-trained lawyer and we make very good use of that.”
Strachan made 341 fraudulent travel claims – with 200 in one year. Jurors rejected his defence that he had simply been muddled and found him guilty of fraud spanning a four-year period.
Jailing Strachan at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, Sheriff Kenneth Maciver said his “inexcusable crimes” were “motivated by greed”.
He added: “The v ictim of this dishonesty is the public purse, a loss and potential loss of public money controlled by the Scottish Legal Aid Board for proper payment to solicitors and advocates engaged in representation of citizens in our courts.”
Strachan, who repaid the money, was later struck off by the Faculty of Advocates.
His forthcoming speech was publicised in a newsletter published by another charity, Aberdeen Voluntary Action.
Their head of development, Keith Anderson, said: “The newsletter is advertising a whole range things that are going on.
“We have to be careful about what we’re promoting but we’re accepting adverts and articles with an awful lot of good faith.” An Off ice of the Scottish Charity Regulator spokesman said: “Having someone speak for a charity would not normally be a regulatory issue unless they were providing incorrect information. “However, charities need to be aware of the reputational impact of using certain speakers and should always conduct the appropriate level of checks before using them. In this case, the charity have made us aware of the steps they have taken.” Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: “It’s no wonder event organisers haven’t mentioned this individual’s most notorious accomplishment. “It’s clearly inappropriate for an advocate with this chequered history to be offering advice on accessing funds.” SLAB said: “Mark Strachan has no involvement with GRA’s incourt advice project we fund.” Strachan declined to comment.
It’s inappropriate for an advocate with his history to offer advice on accessing funds