East End barrister in dock for giving illegal immigration advice
A BARRISTER has been convicted of illegally providing immigration advice in London’s East End. Kwaku Boateng, 64, worked as a non-practicing barrister for Roraima Advice Services in Stepney, admitted the charge when he appeared in court
A BARRISTER has been convicted of illegally providing immigration advice in London’s East End.
Kwaku Boateng, 64, who worked as a non-practicing barrister for Roraima Advice Services in Stepney, admitted the charge when he appeared in court yesterday (Tuesday).
He later moved to Forest Gate, but continued to operate illegally. His victims paid in excess of �7,500 for his services which they did not receive, Southwark Crown Court heard.
Boateng was sentenced to 30 months, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay compensation totalling �1,050.
You may also want to watch:
He had previously been regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner, but had been de-registered in 2007.
“His victims were in a desperate situation,” the Immigration Services Commissioner Suzanne McCarthy said after the hearing.
Most Read
- 1 Leyton Orient still looking to add one or two new signings
- 2 Poplar MP tells court: 'I fled home when brother said I was possessed'
- 3 Covid stats show cases rising across east London boroughs
- 4 John McDonnell is character witness for Poplar MP accused of housing fraud
- 5 ‘Humanitarian disaster’ food shortage for East End families in poverty
- 6 Driver demo blocks Uber's Whitechapel HQ in termination appeals dispute
- 7 Community patrols to stamp out Poplar's street crime
- 8 Apsana Begum's ex-husband may be behind housing bids, trial hears
- 9 A look back at floods which have devastated east London since 2016
- 10 Ice cream parlour with 'no added sugar' to open in Canary Wharf
“Boateng exploited them for his own financial gain. Illegally providing immigration advice ruins lives.”
The Commissioner’s remit includes eliminating “unscrupulous advisers” and investigating complaints.
It has been a criminal offence since 2001 to provide immigration advice unless the organisation involved has registered with the Immigration Services Commission, an independent public body set up under the 1999 Immigration and Asylum Act, or if it has been exempted or is otherwise qualified.
