Iraqi who claimed thousands in benefits, despite huge savings pot, walks from court
A man from Iraq who is living in Devon claimed state benefits for more than a decade despite having thousands of pounds in savings has walked free from court.
Majid Hussain, of Exeter, was said to have fled his war-torn homeland during the early 90s with around £18k from his father.
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Exeter Crown Court
The money was put into an account at the Royal Bank of Scotland and was intended for use as a trust fund for his children’s education, he told Exeter Crown Court.
But Hussain failed to declare the money, which was in his name, when applying for a host of means-tested benefits, from 1997 to 2010.
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He received at least £35k in state benefits, though the exact figure cannot be confirmed as records do not go back to the start of his deception.
Hussain denied three counts of benefit fraud but was convicted by a jury.
Recorder Paul Dunkels QC sentenced Hussain, aged 62, to nine months in jail, suspended for two years.
He said: “The jury rejected that this money was held in trust for your children’s education.
“The (benefit) forms you filled in when making your claims made it perfectly clear that you had a duty to tell the authorities (of the money).”
The fraud only came to light when Inland Revenue checks found the account, prompting Hussain, a father-of-four, to be interviewed under caution.
He told investigators the money had not belonged to him but to his children – despite previously ticking a form denying they had any savings.
Hussain, who has several illnesses including Crohn’s disease, kept his head bowed throughout his sentencing.
The Recorder said: “The real extent of how much money (paid in benefits) can never be obtained because your fraud has gone on for such a long period of time.”
Comments
by frostosmax
Tuesday, January 15 2013, 2:31PM
“So this lying waster has not only cost £35,000 in fraudulent benefits?
Plus the cost of the administration of the claim, the court case, the investigation?
I don't know the details of costs/supervision/monitoring of a suspended sentence but lets say he does commit another crime and ends serving 9 months inside thats another £30000ish he's cost the tax payer.
Then add the costs of all the paperwork and admin for allowing him into the country in the first place.
The only answer is deportation.
Unfortunately our country is too soft to even consider that a possibility, and then even if we did the EU would likely stick its nose in and say its against his human rights.
Total joke!”
by jbird65
Saturday, January 12 2013, 4:20PM
“Deport him. He's forfeited his right to stay here.”
by nick113
Friday, January 11 2013, 12:13PM
“So a suspended sentence, and no pay back of the money obtained fraudulently......i.e. he got off.”
by RAMBO1945
Friday, January 11 2013, 8:23AM
“And his solicitor is also a liar.”
by Juan11_1
Thursday, January 10 2013, 7:48PM
“As the prosecutor put it: "This case is not about religion or culture. It is to do with honesty and dishonesty. He is not a man who likes to give a straight answer. He goes round and round looking for excuses" The man is a thief.”