Justice Edwin Goldsbrough made the order after Malaita businessman Francis Sawane and Molaisufa Sawane sued Honiara lawyer Charles Ashley.
This was over $1,110,000 Ashley held in trust for the Sawanes.
The court had heard a total of $1,454,000 was paid into Ashley’s trust account. This was after Ashley represented the Sawanes in two civil cases in 2003 and 2006.
Ashley should release to the Sawanes $1.1 million after deducting his legal fees.
But the court heard he never did that and instead used monies from the trust account for other purposes, including a $612,750 payment to the High Court in settlement of a civil case against him.
Justice Goldsbrough had ordered Ashley to pay back the Sawanes $1,110,000 plus interest and cost.
The judge had given Ashley until August 12 to do that.
This same incident is the subject of the current criminal case against Ashley, in which he is facing 29 counts of conversion and four counts of money laundering.
He has denied the charges in the Magistrate’s Court.
Billy Titiulu of Pacific Lawyers represented Ashley in the civil case.
Private lawyer Andrew Radclyffe appeared for the Sawanes.
By ASSUMPTA PIVA
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