Yong Wei Kuen Paul

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

The Court of Three Judges struck off Yong Wei Kuen Paul, a solicitor of some 20 years' standing, following two sets of disciplinary proceedings. In DT/3/2019 he orchestrated an illegal moneylending scheme disguised as an investment, inducing a former client to advance $49,500, siphoning nearly $20,000 for himself and dishonestly demanding a $500 reimbursement; all six charges were found made out with express findings of brazen dishonesty. In DT/10/2018 he directed a client to deposit $7,000 into the Firm's Office Account in breach of the SAR, failed to deliver promised work, and failed to refund the deposits, with all four charges made out. The Court found dishonesty and ordered striking off on either complaint, costs against the respondent, denied his bad-faith adjournment request, and referred the matter to the Public Prosecutor.

Duties found breached:

• Disclose adverse law to the court
• Proper basis for allegations
• No improper communication with the court
• Disclose referrals, commissions and benefits
• No improper use of client money
• Prompt accounting and return of money
• Maintain competence and CPD
• AML and crime-prevention compliance

Aggravating factors:

• Premeditated plan to swindle former client
• Abuse of trust arising from former solicitor-client relationship
• Siphoning nearly $20,000 for himself while claiming no personal benefit
• Making perfidious/false assertions to Inquiry Committee
• Misappropriation of client deposits
• Pattern of indolence and unrepentance
• Deliberate attempts to evade service and bad-faith adjournment request
• Two independent sets of misconduct