A former UK solicitor for ex-Pakistan international cricketer Nasir Jamshed has been fined £40,000 (Rs. 15,393,456) and ordered to pay £30,000 (Rs. 11,545,092) in legal costs after being found guilty of dishonesty and serious professional misconduct. Shahid Ali, of Osborne Knight Solicitors, was sanctioned by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for mishandling client funds and misleading his client and others during Jamshed’s criminal proceedings.
Ali had represented Jamshed following his 2017 arrest by the UK National Crime Agency in connection with the 2016 Pakistan Super League spot-fixing investigation. Jamshed was later sentenced to 17 months in prison after changing his plea to guilty in December 2019 during a trial at Manchester Crown Court.
The complaint to the Solicitors Regulation Authority was filed by Jamshed’s wife, Dr. Samara Afzal. During an NCA search of Dr. Afzal’s home, approximately £5,500 (Rs. 2,116,600) in cash was seized and subsequently returned to Ali in September 2017. Ali failed to record this money in a client ledger and retained it for nearly two years, while repeatedly denying receipt to both Jamshed and Dr. Afzal.
The Tribunal also heard that in October 2019, Jamshed gave Ali an additional £15,000 (Rs. 5,772,546) in cash, believing it was for legal fees, although the case was funded by legal aid. Ali claimed the money was given to him for safekeeping.
The Tribunal described Ali’s actions as very serious, concluding that he acted dishonestly, misled his client, and fundamentally failed in his duties when handling client funds. As a result, the total financial sanctions imposed amounted to £70,000 (Rs. 26,938,548).
