Ex-Councillor Jailed for Covid Relief Fraud
Mohammed Ikram, 36, from Keighley, has been locked up for ripping off thousands from the Government’s Covid-19 support schemes. The former Keighley Town Councillor scammed the system using his own café and several fake food outlets.
Fake Cafés, Real Fraud
The fraudster ran Khan’s Café and Chai Point while setting up seven bogus businesses with stolen company details. Between August 7 and September 6, 2020, he submitted 19 dodgy claims under the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, attempting to claim a staggering £434,073.
While HMRC rejected £244,865 of the claims, Ikram still pocketed £189,208 before an investigation by HMRC’s Taxpayer Protection Taskforce uncovered the scam.
HMRC Cracks Down on Covid Scammers
“This was a blatant fraud by somebody who held a position of trust and responsibility,” said Simon 1, Director of HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service. “These schemes were designed to support individuals and businesses during a terribly difficult period. Instead, Mohammed Ikram stole money which should have been paying for vital public services and helping those who needed it most.”
“This is the first conviction for Covid scheme fraud by HMRC, but we’ve arrested 70 people and have numerous cases in the pipeline. So far, we’ve stopped or recovered more than £1.2 billion with investigations ongoing.”
Sentenced for £189k Scam
Ikram admitted cheating public revenue, fraud by false representation, and money laundering at Bradford Crown Court in June 2022. Today, he was sentenced to two-and-a-half years behind bars.
Officials have launched actions to recover the full amount stolen.
