Solicitor fined £7,750 after tribunal upholds breaches over mishandling client money.
A solicitor has been fined £7,750 by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) after it found that he misused client funds and provided his personal bank details in place of his firm’s account during a property transaction.
The case concerned Mohammed Saleem, also previously known as Mohammed Butt, who worked as a consultant solicitor at MT UK Solicitors Limited in Twickenham. The SDT considered allegations that Saleem failed to account properly for client money, provided misleading information, and acted without integrity while handling transactions.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) alleged that Saleem mishandled funds belonging to three clients: UJ, Mr and Mrs R, and KM.
In the case of client KM, the tribunal found that Saleem had supplied his personal bank details to another law firm, Martin Tolhurst Solicitors, to receive £100 for conveyancing searches originally purchased on behalf of KM. The money, which rightfully belonged to KM, was never transferred to MT UK’s client account.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe tribunal also found proved that Saleem submitted a misleading signed statement from client UJ to SRA investigators in 2021, after he had been dismissed from the firm. The document contained claims that Saleem had immediately deposited a £300 cash payment into the firm’s system, despite contradictory evidence.
Allegations relating to money paid by UJ and Mr and Mrs R were ultimately not proved to the required legal standard, with the tribunal noting weaknesses in witness evidence and gaps in supporting documentation.
Crucially, while the SRA argued that Saleem’s conduct was dishonest, the tribunal did not find dishonesty established. Instead, it ruled that his actions demonstrated a lack of integrity and breaches of the profession’s principles, particularly around safeguarding client money.
Saleem denied acting improperly and argued that the proceedings stemmed from a vendetta by his former supervisor, Abdul Majid Tramboo, who dismissed him from the firm in September 2019 following a workplace dispute. He maintained that the firm’s management, including Tramboo, exercised tight control over all accounts, emails and client payments, and suggested that missing funds and administrative irregularities could not have escaped their notice.
He further claimed that some statements submitted by the SRA were based on unreliable hearsay evidence and that key witnesses did not appear before the tribunal for cross-examination.
The SDT considered evidence across multiple hearings in February and June 2023. While acknowledging weaknesses in certain allegations, the panel found that Saleem’s acceptance of payments into his personal bank account and his submission of a misleading client statement were serious failings.
The tribunal said that such behaviour “undermines public trust” in solicitors and breaches the duties of integrity and transparency that are fundamental to the profession. However, it drew back from branding the conduct as dishonest, instead framing it as a matter of professional misconduct falling short of the standards expected.
As a result, the tribunal imposed a financial penalty of £7,750 rather than a strike-off. It said this reflected both the seriousness of the breaches and the fact that dishonesty had not been proved. Saleem also remains liable for regulatory costs associated with the case.
The ruling highlights the SDT’s continued focus on the handling of client money, with even small sums scrutinised closely. The SRA reiterated that solicitors must never treat client funds as their own or obscure financial dealings, stressing that transparency and accuracy are non-negotiable in legal practice.
For Saleem, the decision brings an end to a drawn-out process that has cast a shadow over his career. While he avoided being struck off, the findings and fine serve as a stark reminder of the risks solicitors face when financial dealings fall short of regulatory standards