AN assistant in a legal consulting firm at a traffic police station in Longgang District was accused of practicing law without a license, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported yesterday.
The assistant, identified as Luo, worked for a private legal consultation office in the Songgang Traffic Police Station and allegedly provided legal services by claiming he was a lawyer, the Daily reported, quoting two alleged victims Li Ping and Liu Ming.
He told me he was a lawyer and could help me with legal proceedings involving a traffic accident, said Li Ping, who met Luo at the police station when he went there after a traffic accident in April last year.
Li allegedly paid Luo 1,300 yuan (US$197) and was told to go home and wait for news. I trusted him because he worked at the legal office in the traffic police station, he said.
A couple of weeks later, Luo gave Li an unauthorized report of his injuries sustained in the traffic accident.
Li met Liu when he went to the office to ask for a refund from Luo who had also told Liu that he could represent him in traffic legal proceedings.
According to a traffic police officer at the station, Luo had distributed his business card identifying himself as a lawyer, the Daily said.
The officer told the paper that the consultation office was run by lawyer Zheng Yongfeng. The legal consultation office was set up in accordance with a government policy to provide easy access to legal services, he said. The traffic police station wasn t involved with the consultation office. We just provide the office space.
Zheng later admitted to the paper that Luo did not possess a license to practice law. He graduated from a law school with a degree, but he isn t a licensed lawyer.
Zheng said he wasn t aware of Luo s malpractice. I sincerely apologize for it.
Li and Liu filed a complaint against Luo in Bao an District Court. Authorities are investigating. (SD News)
