A man fraudulently claimed a £10,000 grant he wasn't entitled to. Mohammed Qasim Shafiq exploited the small business rates relief system, set up to help firms during the pandemic, for his own gains.
The council said his crimes were 'exceptionally disappointing' at a time 'when other people were losing their livelihoods'.
He fraudulently claimed the grant for the business on Albert Road, in Levenshulme, where he said he was the occupant. However, this was not the case, and his crimes came to light when a second application was made for the same premises.
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When investigated it became apparent Shafiq had stopped occupying the premises in April 1, 2019 and had gone on to sublet the building. Shafiq also applied for a Local Restriction Support Grant on January 21, 2021, which would have awarded him £1,334 if the application had been successful.
Shafiq, 31, of Bury New Road, Bolton, entered a not-guilty plea to two counts of fraud by false representation but later pleaded guilty to both offences on January 19. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years at Manchester Crown Court today (Tuesday).
He was also ordered to undertake a 12-month drug rehabilitation order, and carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.
The court ordered a compensation order for £9,100 to recover the outstanding balance of the grant which was issued. The defendant was also ordered to pay costs of £4,500 as well as a statutory surcharge.
In a statement, the council said they followed a lengthy investigation after they were made aware of Shafiq's potential fraud in May 2020. Shafiq was interviewed under caution by the council on September 28, 2021.
Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, Executive Member for Finance and Resources said: “Our programme of support for small business was set up in order to shelter them from the worst impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was an unprecedented time which saw so many industries devastated by lockdowns and the income lost as a result.
“It is incredibly disappointing to see that there were people who tried to exploit this system of support to profit at a time when other people were losing their livelihoods.
“We take this kind of fraud extremely seriously and I am satisfied that we’ve seen justice carried out today. I’m grateful for the diligent work of our investigatory team as well as our legal staff for securing this outcome.”
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