A Suva lawyer facing 11 separate charges of professional misconduct and unsatisfactory professional behavior appeared before the Legal Services Commission this morning to answer to the charges.

Between February 2009 to June 2009, 7 separate complaints were received against Sheik Hussein Shah who was then charged by the Chief Registrar with 11 separate counts of misconduct.

The allegations are that Shah received $2,000 from a client in a civil action and four months later, it is alleged that he did a baseless writ of summons that he had done something with the case and left Labasa without notifying his client.

Shah is also alleged to have taken $200 in a personal injury case and allegedly delayed the proceedings and did not appropriately inform his client.

He also allegedly charged a client $4,000 but failed to appear in court for the case.

In another case, it is alleged that he received $5,100 in fees and then failed to adhere to an agreement with his client and demanded another $8,000 in fees, and that he allegedly tried to forge the signature of the complainant to try and obtain the money from a bank.

When the case was called today, Shah informed Commissioner Connors that he needed time to summon the complainants in the case to fight his case.

Commissioner Connors warned Shah slack behavior on his part will not be tolerated and instructed that he prepare his defense in a timely manner.

Connors cautioned Shah that he is not helping himself by causing the delays as the allegations against him is for not doing things, not doing things on time and not doing things properly.

The case is adjourned for hearing on April 15th and 16th.