ADVOCATE AMIT DESAI GIVEN 48 HOURS TO REFUND THE FIVE LAKHS TO THE GOAGOVERNMENT
Adv. Aires Rodrigues has today given Mumbai Senior Advocate Amit Desaia deadline of 48 hours to refund to the Goa Government the Rs five lakhs he had fraudulently billed for the four hearings he neverappeared for before the Bombay High Court at Goa.
Adv. Rodrigues has stated that he would be compelled to file an F.I.Rof cheating against Adv. Amit Desai and Panaji based Adv.Ashwin Bhobe. The Goa Police has already issued a notice to Adv. Amit Desai directing him to furnish High Court appearance certificates for thosefour hearings which he was paid a total of Rs five lakhs.
On the advice of Advocate General Subodh Kantak the Goa Government had engaged Adv. Amit Desai at a fee of Rs 1, 25, 000 per hearing to appear for the State in the Ryan Fernandes death sentence confirmation case. The government also appointed Adv Ashwin Bhobe to assist Adv.Amit Desai at a fee of Rs 5000 per hearing.
Adv. Rodrigues has stated that Adv. Amit Desai’s raising the bills was a clear act of cheating, while Adv. Ashwin Bhobe conspired and corroborated in the act by submitting those bills to the governmentknowing that the bills were falsely raised.
Adv. Rodrigues has stated that the bills of Advocate Amit Desai were submitted to the Goa Government by Advocate Ashwin Bhobe who was fully aware that Adv. Amit Desai had not appeared for those four hearingsand was fraudulently claiming Rs five lakhs.
Adv. Rodrigues has stated that Adv. Ashwin Bhobe had also pursued with the authorities to expeditiously clear out of turn Adv. Amit Desai’sbills while bypassing the laid down procedures.
Adv. Rodrigues has stated that this Amit Desai Saga calls for immediate action by the Law department into the manner in which advocates are currently being appointed by the Government as Special Counsels, the fees being agreed to be paidand their bills processed.
Alleging that the current system lacks any transparency with the coterie of lawyers around Advocate General Mr. Subodh Kantak just recklessly bleeding the State exchequer, Adv. Rodrigues has stated that the questionable role of Mr. Subodh Kantak in the entire Amit Desai episode has left many questions unanswered.
Adv. Rodrigues has further alleged that a look at the functioning of the Advocate General’s office and the government advocates it reveals that a privileged section of one particular community with the blessings and patronage of Advocate General Mr. Subodh Kantak had been reaping huge illegal benefits bringing the entire judicial system todisrepute.
