A DISBARRED attorney was successful in his application to withdraw his guilty plea to charges of stealing nearly $2 million from eight clients by reason of service.

However, 54-year-old Ralph Jan Ward of Paradise Island was not successful in a constitutional motion, in which his attorney Murrio Ducille argued that the charges were brought too late.

In August last year, the former attorney pleaded guilty to stealing $1.9 million from clients who had acquired his services to secure property for them.

He told Justice Vera Watkins he would need time to restore the funds owed and she gave him until October.

However, when he reappeared, he informed the judge that he wanted to change his plea to not guilty, which prompted an objection from prosecutor Eucal Bonaby.

At a hearing in January, Mr Ducille argued that his client did not receive proper legal advice before entering his plea.

He said Ward's training was not in criminal law and therefore he had no practical experience.

The prosecutor opposed the application to withdraw the guilty plea, on the basis that it was an abuse of the process.

The judge delayed the matter on numerous occasions for a number of reasons, mainly due to a recent ruling in the Court of Appeal in a similar case.

Yesterday, the judge made her ruling and set the matter down for a June 21 fixture hearing.