The Court of Appeal has just disbarred attorney Vonda Minerva Pile from practicing law in Barbados.
This comes after the attorney was convicted for stealing a client’s funds and jailed for just under three years by the High Court. On her release from prison she resumed her practice.
The disciplinary committee of the Barbados Bar Association subsequently recommended that her name be removed from the roll of attorneys who can practice law in Barbados.
After hearing a morning of arguments, Chief Justice Leslie Haynes ordered that her name be removed from the list of attorneys; that, as of midday today, she be prohibited from withdrawing any money from clients’ accounts; that she give up all her files within seven days and that she submit a general ledger within seven days, showing the balance of clients’ funds as of June 16.
Pile was sentenced to just under three years in jail after she was found guilty, by majority verdict, in June 2019, of stealing US$96 008 between April 29, 2009, and October 26, 2010, from Bajan/New Yorker businessman King. However, she was found not guilty by majority verdict of money laundering.
The Court of Appeal is still finalising the details of its order. (HLE)
