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.
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 ‘It is not tolerated’: CCTV images released after West Ham game disorder
- 2 Olympian burglary: Men with links to Plaistow and Isle of Dogs wanted
- 3 Bow man charged after Dagenham stabbing given court date
- 4 Convicted: Met special constable who assaulted man in custody
- 5 Reports of man 'carrying metal pole' in Isle of Dogs
- 6 2021: London teenage homicides reach highest level since records began
- 7 Wanted: Man known to commit offences on train and tube network
- 8 Teenager 'punched, kicked' by three men at DLR station
- 9 Guilty: East London criminals jailed in December 2021
- 10 All aboard: Seven quirky houseboats to try this year in London
“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.
