A BARRISTER ON WEDNESDAY CLAIMED THAT HE WAS SACKE
A BARRISTER ON WEDNESDAY CLAIMED THAT HE WAS SACKED BECAUSE HE
EXPOSED THE MISUSE OF #10,000 OF A LAW CENTRE’S MONEY BY THE
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE.
ADE ADELAJA TOLD THE EBURY BRIDGE TRIBUNAL:”IT WAS A CORRUPT
AND IMPROPER AGREEMENT.
IT WAS IMPROPERLY USING LAMBETH COUNCIL
FUNDS.
”
THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE OF NORTH LAMBETH LAW CENTRE HAD HELPED
THREE EX-MEMBERS OF STAFF TO LEAVE AND SET UP THEIR OWN LAW FIRM,
TAKING A NUMBER OF THE LAW CENTRE’S HOUSING CASES WITH THEM, SAID MR
ADELAJA.
A LEGALLY BINDING CONTRACT WAS SIGNED BY THE MANAGEMENT
COMMITTEE GUARANTEEING THE THREE SOLICITORS #10,000 OF THE LAW
CENTRE’S MONEY, HE CLAIMED.
UNDER ITS TERMS, THEY WOULD KEEP THAT AMOUNT IN LEGAL AID FEES
WHICH WOULD NORMALLY GO TO THE LAW CENTRE, AND BE INDEMNIFIED BY THE
LAW CENTRE FOR THAT AMOUNT.
MR ADELAJA OPPOSED THE MOVE AND INFORMED LAMBETH COUNCIL.
HE
TOLD THE TRIBUNAL: ”I WAS VICTIMISED BECAUSE I MADE ALLEGATIONS
AGAINST THE LAW CENTRE.
”
MR ADELAJA SAID THAT HE AND MR PHILPOTT BOTH ANGERED THE
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE BY THEIR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE PLAN.
”OUR DISMISSAL IS RELATED TO THE FACT THAT WE ASSISTED LAMBETH
COUNCIL IN THE INVESTIGATION OF THIS MATTER.
”OUR DISMISSAL WAS DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE ARGUED AGAINST THIS
PLAN FROM THE OUTSET ON PROFESSIONAL GROUNDS, AND AS A RESULT OF THIS
WE WERE VICTIMISED.
”THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE ASSUMED THAT WE WERE ASSISTING
LAMBETH COUNCIL IN THEIR INVESTIGATION, AND AS A RESULT THERE WAS A
CONCERTED EFFORT TO DESTROY US.
”STAFF ONLY FOUND OUT ABOUT THE PLAN WHEN IT LEAKED OUT,” HE
ADDED.
MR ADELAJA FURTHER ALLEGED THAT THE LAW CENTRE, WHICH IS
FUNDED BY AN INDEX-LINKED #120,000 PER ANNUM GRANT FROM LAMBETH
COUNCIL, HAD BROKEN AN ANTI-RACIST POLICY NOT TO ACT FOR CLIENTS WHO
WERE MOTIVATED BY RACISM.
IT HAD ACTED FOR A CLIENT WHO SAID SHE ”DID NOT LIKE WOGS”
AND ANOTHER RACIALLY MOTIVATED EVICTION AGAINST A BLACK TENANT, HE
SAID.
CROSS-EXAMINING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE SECRETARY SHIRLEY LANGHAM,
HE SAID:”THE LAW CENTRE HAS ACTED FOR RACISTS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
IT WAS A BREACH OF LAW CENTRE POLICY.
”
SHE REPLIED: ”I DISAGREE – YOU HAVE ONLY PICKED OUT TWO
CASES.
”
MR ADELAJA SAID THAT THERE WAS A WRITTEN POLICY FORBIDDING THE
LAW CENTRE TO ACT FOR CLIENTS KNOWN TO BE RACIST BUT THAT THEY HAD
NOT BROUGHT DOCUMENTARY PROOF AS HE DID NOT EXPECT THE MATTER TO BE
DISPUTED.
”THE POLICY WAS NOT TO ACT IN NEIGHBOUR DISPUTES, BUT THEY DID
ACT FOR A WHITE LANDLORD TO EVICT A BLACK TENANT.
IT WAS TOTAL
MISMANAGEMENT.
”
ADE ADELAJA, 29, OF WEST NORWOOD, AND TONY PHILPOTT, 32, OF
TOOTING, DENY THAT THEY TRIED TO PREVENT THE APPOINTMENT OF A GAY
SOLICITOR IN CASE HE GAVE THEM AIDS.
THEY CLAIM COPMPENSATION FOR UNFAIR DISMISSAL AND
RE-INSTATEMENT TO THEIR JOBS AT NORTH LAMBETH LAW CENTRE FOLLOWING
THEIR SACKING IN MARCH FOR MISCONDUCT.
THE CASE CONTINUES TOMORROW (THUR).
ENDS
