Twins who swapped roles charged with fraud
ROME - An Italian woman who worked as a part-time judge as well as a lawyer was substituted by her identical twin sister in court so she would not lose out on legal fees when she had two simultaneous engagements.
The 54-year-old twins from northern Italy have now been charged with fraud and will go on trial in January, Italy's leading newspaper, Corriere della Sera, reported Friday on its website.
One of the twins, identified only as Gabriella, worked primarily as a lawyer but also as an honorary judge, a part-time, paid position that entails helping full-time judges when their case load is heavy.
When Gabriella was called to be a substitute judge she sent her sister twin Patrizia to stand in for her at an existing engagement as a defense lawyer elsewhere in the Milan area.
The problem was that sister Patrizia was not a lawyer like sister Gabriella but charged the clients anyway.
The clients discovered the sister act and are now suing both for damages. Prosecutors have charged both with fraud, the paper said.
1 comment:
DOUBLE BILLING
NEWSWIRE--A lawyer in Italy is charged with fraud for having her twin sister fill in at hearings.
If the one that I am were divided in two,
There are alternate options that I might pursue:
I'd be cracking both history and mystery books,
Spoiling a broth with far too many cooks.
I'd be making quick work with my many hands;
From a lamp and its genie, I'd get six commands.
And contrary to limits in age-old advice,
I'd be first in position to only live twice.
Yet, one's all it takes to be bursting this bubble:
I'd likely just end up in twice as much trouble.
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