Two solicitors at a Bradford law firm have been questioned by police as part of their inquiries to trace a fugitive wanted in connection with a house fire in which three generations of a family died.
Amjad Hasan and Mohammed Abbas Younis, who work for Khan’s solicitors in Sunbridge Road, were among nine people arrested last month on suspicion of assisting an offender. They were all released on bail pending further inquiries.
The arrests followed a renewed appeal by police to find Shahid Mohammed, who is wanted in connection with an arson attack at Birkby, Huddersfield, in 2002, which claimed the lives of five children, aged between ten years and six months, and three adults, including the children’s mother.
Police have released a new image of Shahid Mohammed after a photograph, revealing his most recent appearance, was seized during the ongoing police investigation, which was the largest multiple murder inquiry West Yorkshire Police had handled in nearly 30 years.
Ringleader Shaied Iqbal was given eight life sentences in 2003 after being convicted of the murders. Shakiel Shazad and Nazar Hussain were convicted of eight counts of manslaughter and sentenced to 18 years imprisonment.
Shahid Mohammed, who was suspected of having been the joint ringleader in the attack, was arrested in 2003 following the fire but failed to answer his police bail and remains at large.
Last month, seven men aged between 64 and 16, and two women aged 55 and 32, were arrested and bailed.
West Yorkshire Police said: “All were arrested on May 13 for assisting an offender and have been bailed pending further inquiries. We cannot identify anyone arrested.”
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has been informed of the allegation.
Rashid Majid, senior partner of Khan’s solicitors, would only say: “The firm is in no position to comment.”
Mr Hasan, 35, graduated from Huddersfield University in 2001 and is described on Khan’s website as one of the senior members of staff and “an integral member of the management team.”
The website says he “deals primarily with the more serious criminal offences.” He has extensive experience and has dealt with offences ranging from terrorism, murder, VAT fraud, money laundering, conspiracy to defraud, mortgage fraud, conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs, and sexual offences.
He was admitted to the profession of solicitor in November, 2011.
Mr Abbas, 28, also graduated from the University of Huddersfield, before completing his legal studies in Leeds. He joined Khan Solicitors as a trainee solicitor in August, 2009 and was admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in February, 2012.
He has dealt with cases at the crown court, is an accredited police station representative, and is described on the website as “a highly regarded member of our team.”
A spokesman for the Solicitors Regulation Authority said it could not confirm or deny any allegations against solicitors unless disciplinary action became necessary.
He added: “If we receive information about any criminal proceedings, we always investigate as and when information comes to us.”
Adrian Green, secretary of Bradford Law Society, said it would be inappropriate to comment.
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