A Scottish lawyer’s widow has agreed to return almost $4 million he allegedly obtained fraudulently in child welfare cases.

James Muir, a solicitor, killed himself after learning he was under investigation. The Scottish Legal Aid Board announced Monday it had reached an agreement with Susan Muir after two years of negotiations.

Muir’s practice was largely serving as a guardian for children. He reportedly defrauded legal aid of thousands of dollars by falsely claiming his clients had been victims of sexual abuse, in some cases submitting fake statements from social workers or police officers.

While the children existed, the sexual abuse did not, investigators say. The financial payouts got bigger, starting at about $2,000 per case, to 10 times that when the fraud came to light.

The investigation began when officials noticed the amount of money being paid to Muir’s clients was steadily getting bigger. // Copyright 2007 by United Press International


Publication date: 02 October 2007   

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