A former Bay of Plenty lawyer has been accused of a $450,000 fraud, and charged by the government’s financial crime watchdog, the Serious Fraud Office.
Paulette Main, who no longer holds a practising certificate for law, appeared in Tauranga District Court on July 10, accused of falsely claiming the money from a legal support scheme funded by the Ministry of Justice.
Main faced 30 charges of obtaining by deception and two charges of obstructing a Serious Fraud Office investigation. She was remanded without plea and will next appear in court on August 3.
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The charges by the SFO, which investigates serious financial crimes, alleged that Main had submitted more than 1500 false claims to the Ministry of Justice’s Family Legal Advice Service (FLAS).
This service funds eligible lawyers to give out-of-court advice in Care of Children Act disputes. Lawyers are able to claim a fixed fee from the Ministry of Justice for providing services under the FLAS.
* CLARIFICATION: The article has been updated to clarify that Paulette Main is a former lawyer who does not hold a current practising certificate.
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