Bangkok Post

LCT disbars lawyer in B3m fraud case

- POST REPORTERS

The Lawyers Council of Thailand (LCT) has decided to disbar a lawyer accused of cheating a wheelchair-bound teenager and her family out of 3 million baht in compensati­on supposed to be paid to the family over a 2005 road accident case.

Pisit Sammalert, the lawyer, allegedly falsified documents authorisin­g himself to claim the compensati­on on behalf of the family and never paid the amount to the family.

The LCT, however, cited Mr Pisit having been declared bankrupt in 2004 as the grounds to disbar him, according to Sombat Wongkamhae­ng, spokesman for the LCT.

A proposal to disbar Mr Pisit for this reason was backed by a majority vote at a special meeting of the LCT’s executives held yesterday, said Mr Sombat.

Mr Pisit became unqualifie­d to practice as a licensed lawyer from the day he was declared bankrupt in 2004, according to the LCT.

The LCT therefore reserves the right to exercise its power under Section 43 of the Lawyers Act to remove him from the list of certified lawyers, said Mr Sombat.

The LCT will next formally request the registrar of certified lawyers to execute the LCT’s decision to disbar Mr Pisit, said Mr Sombat.

Pattana Jatiket, a vice-president of the LCT, said he has been contacted by a close friend of Mr Pisit who said Mr Pisit intends to defend himself against the LCT’s decision.

Pattarada “Nong Beam” Kaewpong, 14, was left with a serious spinal injury and her father killed in a 2005 road accident in Surat Thani province in which the pickup truck the family was travelling in collided with an 18-wheeler lorry.

Mr Pisit later met the family and offered pro bono legal help.

According to previous accounts from the girl’s mother, Pornthip Chantharat, Mr Pisit told them the lorry operator had agreed to pay them one million baht in compensati­on.

However, monthly payments of 40,000 baht were paid to them for only seven months after which the lawyer could no longer be contacted.

The mother and the daughter yesterday filed a lawsuit with the Civil Court seeking 3.4 million baht in compensati­on from Mr Pisit.

Demanded to be paid together with the stolen 3 million baht is 412,000 baht interest, the lawsuit said.

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