Monthly Archives December 2009

Seema Parikh of MPR Solicitors writes:

The Home Secretary announced today that the use of phone tap evidence in courts in England and Wales was not “legally viable”. This was after the government had commissioned a review on the possibility of using intercept evidence in court. The review held a series of mock trials which showed that this type of evidence was simply incompatible with the rules of disclosure of evidence to the defence.

Under current legislation in England & Wales, information obtained from phone taps or intercepted emails cannot be used in evidence in a court of law. However, material obtained from this type of source can be used for intelligence purposes and is widely used by law enforcements agencies in the UK to investigate and combat crime. The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) have been using intelligence led methods such as wiretaps to make arrests in the UK. MPR Solicitors were instructed  to represent a Defendant facing serious money laundering charges where SOCA had used intercept evidence gained from law enforcement agencies in Spain and had attempted to use wiretap evidence obtained from the UK to prosecute the case. As a result of legal argument, we were able to successfully argue against both sources of the wiretap evidence which resulted in most of the evidence against our client being excluded. Moreover, we were able to use the disclosed unused wiretap material which had been obtained from Spanish law enforcement agencies to assist our client’s defence case.

We have the experience and the expertise to defend serious crime and cases being prosecuted on behalf of SOCA. If you need further information or details about how we may be able to assist you or about any of the issues raised in this ebrief news item, please contact seema parikh on 0208 607 4660 or email her seema@mprsolicitors.co.uk

Read more here

Seema Parikh is a Partner and  head of Serious Crime and Regulatory Departments at MPR Solicitors LLP.

We can advise and assist clients from our Head Office in Hounslow, Hammersmith office or at our base in the City of London. Our London Regulatory and Fraud Solicitors can also visit you at your offices or whererever you are based.

MPR Solicitors LLP were instructed to represent a company director alleged to have been part of an organised crime group trading large volumes of high-value carbon credits. The Treasury suspected that at least £38 million in VAT had been stolen by a series of buffer companies. As a temporary measure, The Treasury removed VAT from carbon credits on 31.07.2009 until the EU agrees a common policy to prevent the tax loophole and similar alleged frauds from occurring. The potential problem had been identified by a number of leading academics in the US and the UK but the government was slow to identify the potential impact on the Treasury.

For more information on this story:

Seven arrests suspected in 38m carbon credit fraud

Seven held over carbon credits fraud

How can MPR Solicitors LLP assist you?

We have been appointed to the Legal Services Commission’s specialist Fraud Panel which only a handful of law firms in the UK are members of. This demonstrates our expertise to advise and act for individuals, company directors and businesses facing serious prosecutions primarily by the SFO and HMRC.

Members of the Firm have defended and acted for clients in some of the largest prosecutions involving MTIC frauds, Carousel frauds, VAT frauds, Mortgage frauds, Long Firm frauds, Revenue frauds and associated money laundering offences. We have a dedicated department for White Collar and Business Crime with the paralegal and back-office support staff. We also work with some of the country’s leading barristers’ Chambers specialising in Fraud work and Regulatory offences. We are also able to call upon the services of specialist forensic accountants to assist in the preparation of client cases.

Our lawyers can advise and assist clients from our Head Office in Hounslow, Hammersmith office or at our base in the City of London. Our London Fraud Solicitors can also visit you at your offices or whererever you are based in the UK or internationally.

If you would like to discuss your case in confidence with us, please contact Seema Parikh on  020 8607 4660 or seema@mprsolicitors.co.uk in the first instance.

Mother of two Geeta Aulakh was found fatally injured in Greenford and a major police investigation was launched headed by the Murder Investigation Team. Further arrests were made on 19 November 2009 as a result of police enquiries. MPR Solicitors were instructed to represent one of 6 suspects arrested in a second waive of intense police activity in the Ealing area in relation to this high profile murder case. With our expertise in defending serious crime and extensive knowledge of police procedure, we were able to convince the police to release our client without charge. It is a suspect’s right to be represented at the police station and this is enshrined within the Codes of Practice in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE).  For more details about this case

Skynews reports here: Six More Arrests in Greenford

How can MPR Solicitors help you?

MPR Solicitors offer 24 hour police station representation and cover all police stations within London and the South East. If you have been asked to attend a police interview or if you have a friend or family member who has been arrested and requires representation at the police station, call us on our 24 hour number 0208 607 4660 for further assistance.

We have a team of dedicated police station advisors ready to assist you.

All police station representation is funded by Legal Aid and is not means tested.

We can advise and assist clients from our Head Office in Hounslow, Hammersmith office or at our base in the City of London. Our London Criminal Solicitors can also visit you at your offices or whererever you are based.

If you would like more information, please contact Seema Parikh or Abdullah Al-Yunusi in the strictest of confidence on  0208 607 4660.

Read more of MPR’s notable homicide cases:

JGB, a US Federal Air Marshal was acquitted on the 20th November 2009 of Rape. The case still continues however as the Crown Prosecution Service(CPS) must decide whether it is in the public interest to pursue this case on a lesser count.

After a long and drawn out trial at the Central Criminal Court in which the evidence was heard from a wide variety of the world’s leading experts, along with live evidence from other Air Marshals JGB was acquitted unanimously of rape but a decision could not be reached by the jury over the lesser count and as a result the CPS will decide  later this month as to whether they will proceed.

The MPR team responsible for representing JGB consisted of our members from our specialist crime team led by Allen Wellington who was the solicitor-advocate instructed. Allen’s significant experience of handling both sensitive and highly intricate matters was integral to the successful outcome in this case. Our team made considerable efforts in both actively preparing JGB’s defence but also facilitating in the arrangement of other Federal Air Marshals attending the UK to give live evidence.

To effect this, we employed the use of our cross-border experience and visited the United States in order to interview witnesses and gather further evidence. We were also involved with direct one to one negotiation with senior representatives from the Department of Homeland Security to broker this arrangement.

The Telegraph reports this case here: ‘Navy Wren gave suggestive looks to US air marshal before rape’

How can MPR help you?

Seema Parikh, Victoria Murphy,and Peramjit Bhogal all have significant experience in representing Defendants for serious sexual offences. Seema has one of the best success rates in such cases and is viewed by her contemporaries as a specialist. This is largely down to the sound preparation and sensitivity with which she conducts her matters.

Peramjit who is a solicitor-advocate, also has added to his armory of technical legal knowledge, the ability to represent clients throughout all stages from the police station right through to the Crown Court.

Our Solicitors can advise and assist clients from our Head Office in Hounslow, Hammersmith office or at our base in the City of London. Our London Sexual Offence Defence Solicitors can also visit you at your offices or whererever you are based.

If you require assistance on similar matters, please call Seema Parikh in the strictest confidence on 020 8607 4660 or email seema@mprsolicitors.co.uk