Peter Lankai Hesse-Lamptey & Kofi Agyeman

Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision

Two solicitor partners of Cephas Solicitors faced numerous allegations including SAR breaches, failure to honour undertakings, misleading lenders, and money laundering failings. The Tribunal made an express finding of dishonesty against the First Respondent (Hesse-Lamptey) under the Twinsectra test regarding improper use of a mortgage advance (Ms AD transaction); other mortgage-related allegations were proved without dishonesty. He was struck off and ordered to pay costs of £35,245.77. The Second Respondent (Agyeman) - against whom no dishonesty was alleged - was found to have run firms without effective financial control and was suspended indefinitely, with leave to apply for removal, and ordered to pay costs of £35,824.46. Costs were ordered forthwith. (The Second Respondent's later appeal upheld findings/sanction but successfully challenged the costs order, which was remitted.)

Duties found breached:

• Avoid wasting the court's time
• Proper basis for allegations
• Not mislead third parties or opponents
• Keep client informed and respond promptly
• Advise on alternatives, settlement and outcome
• No conflict between current clients
• Handle inadvertently received material
• No improper use of client money
• Accounting records, reconciliation and reports
• Competence
• AML and crime-prevention compliance

Aggravating factors:

• Continued to breach SAR despite previous inspection
• Conduct put the public at significant risk and undermined reputation of profession
• Second Respondent established a new firm (Dolphine) along similarly shambolic lines after abdicating responsibility at Cephas

Mitigating factors:

• No previous disciplinary findings against either Respondent
• Second Respondent's conduct not necessarily incompatible with future practice (no dishonesty alleged against him)