I refer to the previous article (COURT RULES THAT LAWYER, PAP MP ALVIN YEO OVERCHARGED $1 MILLION IN LEGAL FEES). This is a matter of grave importance as it concerns the dishonest conduct of a Member of Parliament for Chua Chu Kang GRC.
Recently, the High Court ruled that Dr Susan Lim was overcharged by the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) which claimed an exorbitant sum in legal bills owed to its lawyers, Senior Counsel Alvin Yeo (who is a PAP MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC), Lim Wei Lee and Melanie Ho.
These are the items that the legal firm charged and what the courts decided was fair:
Total legal fees went from $1.33 million to $317,000.
Legal cost for trial: $900,000 to $180,000
Legal cost for appeal hearing: $150,000 to $70,000
Legal assessment for the case: $235,000 to $22,000
Expert witnesses: $52,000 to $14,000
Ring binders for documents: $6 per unit to $2.50 per unit
(http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2014/10/singapore-medical-council-overch...)
The High Court ruling was that the total legal fees for SMC’s lawyers should cost $317,000 instead of the $1.33 million charged by Yeo’s law firm, Wong Partnership LLP. This meant that trio consisting of MP Alvin Yeo, Melanie Ho and Lim Wei Lee had grossly overcharged by over a million dollars. Dr Susan Lim had earlier lost a case in which she had overcharged her patient and for that case, the court ruled that she had to pay for costs to SMC which included their legal fees.
Dr Lim was shocked upon seeing the ridiculously high cost claimed by SMC for the legal fees. On one of the statements, the trio of lawyers had charged $77,102 for each day in court. In another, the fee was $46,729 for every day in court and on the last statement, the fees were close to $100,000 per hour they spent in court. (http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2014/07/lawyer-a-pap-mp-accused-of-overc...)
The first taxation hearing concurred with Dr Lim that the fees were ridiculously inflated. Among other things, Dr Lim's lawyer, Mr Paul Tan, had objected to the $900,000 bill for the lawyers, pointing out there was provision to pay only one lawyer, and not two.
But lawyer Melanie Ho countered for SMC that the costs claimed was for one lawyer at each stage of the inquiry. For instance, Senior Counsel Yeo presented the opening statement and preliminary arguments in the first hearing, while Ms Ho led evidence in the prosecution's case.
But High Court Assistant Registrar Lee ruled "that such an interpretation of costs of one counsel/ solicitor cannot be allowed", as SMC had not gotten permission from the disciplinary committee to claim fees for more than one lawyer.
She also viewed with "great circumspection" the claims by SMC's lawyers that some 1,900 hours and $1.229 million in total time cost was incurred for the disciplinary committee hearings. (http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/courts-crime/story/susan-lim-...)
From the court’s judgement, MP Alvin Yeo and his law firm are guilty of exaggerating their legal claims and unethically overcharging Dr Lim by over a million dollars.
In the past, lawyers who were found guilty of overcharging have been fined, suspended or disbarred. In 2010, 6 lawyers were disbarred for overcharging their clients (http://tuffdaddynewsnetwork.blogspot.sg/2011/07/6-lawyers-disbarred-for-...). In some countries, lawyers may even be sentenced to jail for overcharging clients.
As MP Alvin Yeo is a Senior Counsel and not an ordinary lawyer, it is reasonable to expect a harsher punishment for him. At the very least, he should be temporarily suspended from law practice for professional misconduct.
The lack of integrity shown by MP Alvin Yeo raises doubts about the selection process for PAP candidates. This case also has serious implications for both the medical and legal professions.
It remains to be seen whether Chua Chu Kang GRC residents want a greedy and possibly corrupt MP to continue to serve them and draw salary till the next election. By definition, a corrupt person is one who is “having or showing a willingness to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain.”
Meanwhile there has been no word or sound from any of the PAP ministers and MPs about this pressing matter even though it has been 2 days since the news of the court’s judgement broke. Many Singaporean netizens are distraught by the news yet they have received no reassurance from the PAP leadership.
Disillusioned
TRS Contributor