Lankan family jailed for 170,000 pounds fraud
July 1, 2010 11:00 am
A Sri Lankan family who owned properties worth more than 1 million pounds and drove BMWs and Porsches have been jailed for fraudulently claiming 170,000 pounds in housing benefits.
The case was brought by
Four members of the family were jailed for their part in the fraud.
46-year-old Premkumar Pathmanathan got 14 months, his brother Sivakumar
Pathmanathan, 43, got 15 months, Nalliah Kowridas, 43, received a 15-month
sentence and Shamini Kowridas, 38, was jailed for six months. They fraudulently
claimed 170,000 pounds in housing benefits.
Premkumar’s wife Kalaivany Premkumar, 40 got a 12 month suspended sentence and
was ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work.
Henson, of Harrow Council said: “We are very pleased with the court’s decision
and will now be taking steps to recover the money and return it to the public
purse.”
In these tough economic times it’s essential housing benefit goes to those
people in real need, and not to fraudsters driving Porsches and BMWs.
“I hope the verdict sends a message that if you claim money you are not
entitled to, we will catch up with you.”
Councillor Muhammed Butt of Brent council said: “This was a challenging case
involving many months of diligent investigation work by my investigators
unpicking a complicated web of deceit.”
