Law Society will give details of ‘crooked’ lawyers to detectives

POLICE have warned corrupt lawyers to expect a “tap on the shoulder” after signing a deal with the Law Society of Scotland.

The agreement will give the Scottish Crime and Drugs Enforcement Agency access to information that might usually be restricted by human rights or data protection laws.

The SCDEA is investigating 291 “professionals”, including lawyers, accountants, property agents and surveillance experts, who help crime gangs conduct illegal activity.

Corrupt lawyers have been on the SCDEA’s radar for some time, but the launch of the new information-sharing protocol signals a new focus on stopping criminals laundering dirty money.

Gordon Meldrum, director general of the SCDEA, said: “My view is, whether you are a lawyer or anyone involved in the financial world, if you are a professional knowingly assisting criminals then you need to stop, tell your professional body and await the outcome.

“The reality is, if you are in that position, no matter how good you think you are, you need to keep looking over your shoulder. You have no idea how close the SCDEA, the Law Society of Scotland, or another professional body is to tapping on that shoulder.”

The SCDEA estimates there are 4,500 members of 360 serious and organised crime gangs currently operating in Scotland.

Between ten and 12 of those use “professionals”, typically to conceal their money or their criminal activity.

The help might involve providing advice for criminals on complex house purchases or business deals. It could be about how to avert detection, or a professional could omit to report unaccountable funds to Proceeds of Crime legislators.

In some cases the lawyer’s conduct might not be criminal in itself, but may fall below the industry’s code of conduct, which could put them in trouble with the Law Society of Scotland.

Cameron Ritche, society president, said the flow of information would go both ways and the society was keen to get information on errant members.

He said: “We’re concerned in a public interest sense. If necessary, we feel these requirements might outweigh the Data Protection Act or the Human Rights Act.”

Mr Meldrum said there were typically three reasons why lawyers became involved in the criminal underworld.

“The first is money. You do it because you’re getting paid a fee, you’re making good money for it,” he said. “The second is naivety. You know the reputations of the people involved and you might like the mystique of it, organised crime has that label.

“The third is manipulation, threats, coercion and blackmail.

The Law Society of Scotland stressed any lawyers under scrutiny were a small minority of its 10,600 members.