Cyprus: Lawyer Accused of Embezzling Estates

Seven complaints have been filed with the Larnaca TAE against a former lawyer in Cyprus, concerning the embezzlement of hundreds of thousands of euros from deceased individuals' estates, according to an article by Michalis Chatzistylianou in the newspaper «Politis».

The lawyer lost her license to practice law in October 2022 after being convicted by the Disciplinary Board of the Pancyprian Bar Association for similar offenses.

According to the article, investigations into two complaints have been completed and forwarded to the Legal Service. A criminal case was withdrawn when the lawyer returned the money to the complainants.

The modus operandi involved taking over the management of wills, gaining access to movable and immovable property, and embezzling the funds, leaving beneficiaries waiting for extended periods.

The complaints include cases where the lawyer failed to perform her duties, did not inform the heirs, and misappropriated significant amounts of money. In one case, she allegedly embezzled €400,146 from bank deposits totaling €541,598.

One victim described how the lawyer deceived them, exploiting their trust and violating client account legislation.

The former lawyer had been convicted five other times by the Disciplinary Board before being removed from the register of lawyers.