‘Crooked lawyers fiddled millions in legal aid’

A gang of crooked lawyers conspired to scam the taxpayer out of millions of pounds in legal aid payments, a court heard. Barrister Shahid Rashid, 59, together with solicitors Razi Shah, 49, and husband and wife Rasib Ghaffar, 50, and Kareena Maciel, 47, are said to have falsely claimed £1,856,584 in costs for a Bournemouth Crown Court trial in 2011. Also accused in the conspiracy are solicitors Azhar Khan, 48, Joseph Ameyaw-Kyeremeh, 69, and legal clerk Gazi Khan, 49. Azhar…