Monday 21 June 2010

NHS Money Man Ripped-Off Taxpayers



A "greedy" £350 per day NHS finance guru has been jailed for claiming benefits while pocketing £212,000 in professional fees in just three years.


Zahid Ali, 46, was arrested at his gated house in an exclusive stockbroker belt neighbourhood for a variety of false claims including incapacity benefit for depression, jobseekers allowance and housing benefit.


Ali, of Nightingale Court, Sutton, was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment at Croydon Crown Court after pleading guilty to seven charges.


"This is a substantial fraud over a substantial period of time and manifestly greedy," Judge Heather Baucher told the defendant. "You are a deliberately manipulative fraudster."


His company received consultancy fees from a variety of NHS General Practitioners for assisting in their budgets.


Ali admitted failing to notify the Department of Work and Pensions he was working between September 27, 2004 and November 21, 2006 while receiving incapacity benefit for depression.


He also admitted failing to declare to the London Borough of Sutton he was working while receiving housing benefit and failing to declare he was living with his girlfriend when applying for Jobseekers Allowance.


Ali (pictured) also admitted a fraudulent housing benefit application to Surrey's Reigate and Banstead council for a property his wife owned in Hooley - forging documents and inventing a phantom landlord.


He was arrested in Kingswood Surrey on June 10, 2008 and later repaid the £14,938 he unlawfully obtained.


"This was four separate frauds during which he time he has earned over £212,000 over three years and is living in a substantial property behind electronic gates," added Judge Baucher.


She also ordered Ali to pay £3,000 costs.

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