On the morning of last Tuesday (12), the Civil Police carried out an operation in Palmas – To, which resulted in the arrest of a lawyer in compliance with a preventive arrest warrant.
She is accused of carrying out fraudulent scams, issuing false payment guides and using powers of attorney to acquire amounts that were supposedly intended for her clients.
The accusations against the lawyer
Investigations suggest that the lawyer, identified as Flávia, embezzled around R$700,000. Her defense stated that they will not comment on the case, claiming that the process is under judicial secrecy.
The Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) reports that Flávia's professional registration has been suspended by decision of the Ethics and Discipline Court, which prohibits her from practicing law.
According to the G1 article, it had access to three of the four complaints against the lawyer that were taken to court. The fourth complaint is confidential.
The reported cases
In one case, the client hired the lawyer to represent him in reaching an agreement regarding late payments for the purchase of a lot. Flávia allegedly advised the client to make payments of the outstanding installments in court. He paid R$$ 32,400.00, believing that he was fulfilling the agreements with the selling company. However, after more than two years, the pending issue continued and the victim had to hire another lawyer to resolve the situation, discovering that there had never been any legal action regarding the case.
Another complaint involves a labor lawsuit. The company was supposed to pay a total of R$14,684.78 to the former employee, with the payments being made in court. However, it was discovered that the lawyer received the payments but did not pass anything on to the client.
A third case also involves a labor lawsuit. The lawyer received R$15,559.32 to represent her client, but did not pass the amount on to the victim. In this case, the lawyer returned part of the money, but since she did not pay the full amount, the client filed a complaint against Flávia.
In all three cases, the lawyer was charged with misappropriation of funds, in addition to being charged with fraud and ideological falsehood.
Investigations continue
In addition to these cases, the police are investigating whether she made victims in other states and the involvement of another lawyer in the crimes. The OAB and the Ethics and Disciplinary Court of the OAB of Tocantins confirm that lawyer Flávia Paulo dos Santos Oliveira Ribeiro has had her professional practice suspended.
Image: Pixabay
