Staff Reporter 

The Bar Council has terminated the license of Kartshi Legal Firm for its involvement in deceptive practice with a representative of the Animal Life Saving Association.

The association also known as Semchen Tshethar Tshogpa complained that its regional co-ordinator Drungtsho Tshering Penjor and Tashi Tobgay, Chief Executive Officer, Kartshi Legal Firm based in Gelegphu colluded and extorted excessive legal fees amounting to Nu 217,000 from Animal Life-Saving Association by using money receipt attributed to ND Legal Consultancy Services.

The disciplinary committee of the council asked the proprietor of Kartshi Legal Firm, Karma Lhuntshi to attend the hearing of the committee in person before he was convicted by the court of Law in an embezzlement case. But he refused to attend the hearing.

The complainant requested Jabmi Tshogdey to investigate whether the licence of Kartshi Legal Firm is in Tashi Tobgay’s name. The association requested Bar Council to cancel the licence of the firm if it was not in Tashi Tobgay’s name.

The association insisted that issuing of money receipt attributed to ND Legal Consultancy Services by Kartshi Legal Firm is a deceptive practice and that it must be investigated.

The Bar Council found that Drungtsho Tshering Penjor and Chief Executive Officer of Kartshi Legal Firm appeared to have used the money receipt attributed to ND Legal Consultancy Services on twenty-four occasions. The licence of Kartshi Legal Firm was not in Tashi Tobgay’s name who claimed to be the Chief Executive Officer of the legal firm.

The Bar Council found that the use of ND Legal Consultancy Services’ money receipts by Tashi Tobgay appears to be a deceptive practice. “Due to the unprofessional conduct by the persons involved in the case the licence of Kartshi Legal Firm is subject to cancellation and the act of Tashi Tobgay, Chief Executive Officer may be reported to the relevant agency for further investigation,” the council’s decision stated.