By Glenroy Sinclair, Staff Reporter
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW Dahlia Allen has paid $1.5 million to the attorney representing former clients she was accused of defrauding, Superintendent Errol Samuels, head of the Police Fraud Squad, said yesterday.
A warrant was issued for the arrest of Mrs. Allen following allegations that she did not hand over money from the sale of a house to Constantine and Inez Osbourne. The matter was reported to the Fraud Squad.
Mrs. Allen, who left the island recently for the United Kingdom, is wanted in connection with allegations of fraudulent conversion.
According to Supt. Samuels, he received a call last week from a woman who identified herself as attorney-at-law Kerie Brown, who said that she was an associate of attorney-at-law Lord Anthony Gifford, Q.C.
"Ms. Brown said she was instructed by Lord Gifford to call and inform me that two cheques totalling $1.5 million were paid over to Hilma McNeil, the complainants' attorney," he said.
The Superintendent said the payment was confirmed by the investigator probing the case. Attempts yesterday to get a comment from Ms. McNeil were unsuccessful.
Asked whether the matter was now considered settled since the money was re-paid, Supt. Samuels said there are more investigations to be done. He said she had made contact with the police but did not disclose when she would be returning to Jamaica.
It's reported that early last year, the Osbournes retained the services of Ms. McNeil in the sale of a house at Tredegar Park, St. Catherine. The house was sold in June 1999 and the money for the sale paid over to the law firm, Allen, Heslop and Company.
According to the police, the mortgage payments from Churches Credit Union totalled $489,000, and from the National Housing Trust, $1,600,000. The cash lodgement from the purchaser was $390,000 plus a personal cheque for $205,000. Part of the proceeds was to be paid over to the Osbournes, less legal fees. However, this was reportedly not done, hence the complaint to the Fraud Squad.
