UK Solicitors' Register Expels Indian Lawyer Mathew Moghan Rajamohan Chellam Due to 'Sham Marriages' Conviction

Los Angeles/Aug 01,2024
NRIpress.club/Ramesh/A.Gary Singh

Indian solicitor Mathew Chellam, 53, has been struck off the UK solicitors' roll following his conviction for orchestrating sham marriages and submitting fraudulent applications to facilitate illegal immigration. Chellam engaged in a sophisticated scheme to deceive the British government and profit from his illicit services.
Between 2012 and 2013, Chellam provided a range of 'false and fictitious' evidence to the Home Office, leading to substantial payments for his fraudulent services. In 2016, Snaresbrook Crown Court sentenced Chellam to eight years in prison, condemning his actions as 'misleading' and 'deceitful.'
Despite his conviction, Chellam has since returned to India, and his whereabouts remain unknown. The judgment issued on July 5 notes that he has not been located since his departure.

Chellam's fraudulent scheme involved submitting false paperwork, including fake birth certificates and wage slips from non-existent cleaning companies. He also organized fake weddings between Indian and French nationals in Ghana, where such 'customary marriages' are legally recognized.

During a 2014 police raid at the Maamala Restaurant in East London, documents bearing Chellam's handwriting were discovered. The raid uncovered two secret offices with immigration records on his law firm's letterhead, forged Ghanaian birth certificates, and authentic French identity documents.

The SDT found Chellam guilty of assisting unlawful immigration, providing unqualified immigration advice, and seeking leave to remain through deception. The tribunal emphasized that his actions undermined the fairness and integrity of legal proceedings. Judge Oscar Del Fabbro highlighted that Chellam's status as a lawyer exacerbated the severity of his crimes, noting the profound damage his actions caused to the legal profession.

Professional Background and Fraudulents Activities
Chellam, who began his legal career in India, was admitted to the UK roll of solicitors in 2013 through the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme. However, from April 2011 to August 2014, he engaged in fraudulent activities, submitting deceptive applications for Non-EEA residence permits to aid unlawful immigration.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) revealed that Chellam provided immigration advice without the necessary qualifications between October 2012 and January 2013. Solicitors providing such advice must be registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC), which Chellam was not.

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