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Gangmaster jailed for £2.5million tax scam
A Hounslow gangmaster has been jailed for six years for a fraud that netted him more than £750,000 over 10 years.
Southwark Crown Court heard Mazhar Hayat Raja, 50, from Hounslow Road, Feltham, had supplied hundreds of workers to companies around Heathrow and Gatwick.
But instead of handing over PAYE tax and national insurance collected from the workers' pay, the would collapse the companies in a "phoenixising" scam and pocket the money himself.
He was sentenced to 6 years jail on each of nine counts of cheating, a year on a count of false accounting relating to his business interests in 1996 and three years for the same charge relating to his business in 2001. All sentences are to run concurrently.
The court heard a team of dedicated HM Customs and Revenue investigators had discovered that Raja had since the early 1990s supplied labour to several agencies in the engineering and electronics industries that had been hidden behind an empire of numerous companies that he secretly controlled.
The court also heard how Raja had used three or four legitimate companies which supplied labour to businesses serving Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
These businesses grew until he was supplying hundreds of people each week. Although he made PAYE returns for these companies, they were falsified to conceal the true amounts which should have been paid to the revenue.
He had also set up a number of bank accounts in the names of his wife and other relatives to conceal the hundreds of thousands of pounds that he had extracted from the companies.
In sentencing Raja, Judge Rivlin QC said: "This has been an extensive investigation which has enabled us to bring to justice this clever and immensely resourceful man.
"The main purpose of your business was to cream off money for yourself and your family. "You formed many companies, almost all recruitment; some providing armies of workers, with only three of the companies on record, the remainder all off-record and never revealed to HMRC - paying umpteen amounts of money to goodness knows how many workers.
"The most important result of your business was not just a house and profit, but a veritable fortune.
"You concealed the truth by telling endless lies to inland revenue investigators.
"You involved others in the series of frauds by obtaining the identities of numerous workers which you used and abused.
"In the course of the trial you have not hesitated to blame others and you dishonestly deprived the revenue of at least £2.5million."
Revenue and Customs investigators are also applying to seize Raja's assets.
12:59pm Sunday 27th April 2008
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CommentPosted by: jack Bauer, London on 3:40pm Mon 28 Apr 08
[bold]Another bl**dy foreigner taking the mickey![/bold]
And yet, the PC Crowd and the politicians are always on the side of these criminals!
Check out the [italic]Rogues Gallery[/italic] at the [italic]iamanenglishman[/italic] web site for more Mazhar Hayat Raja types.
Whilst you're there, have a look at the Ken Livingstone essay on the Home Page. If you get half way through it, and you're not PC, I guarantee you won't vote for the present Mayor on Thursday.
Another bl**dy foreigner taking the mickey!
And yet, the PC Crowd and the politicians are always on the side of these criminals!
Check out the
Rogues Gallery at the
iamanenglishman web site for more Mazhar Hayat Raja types.
Whilst you're there, have a look at the Ken Livingstone essay on the Home Page. If you get half way through it, and you're not PC, I guarantee you won't vote for the present Mayor on Thursday.
Posted by: factoid, chavtown on 11:01pm Mon 28 Apr 08
brilliant, When foreigners describe this country as treasure island and our government is happy to throw our taxes at them this kind of crime will continue. This story does buck the trend slightly as this dude has been caught....eventually
.
brilliant, When foreigners describe this country as treasure island and our government is happy to throw our taxes at them this kind of crime will continue. This story does buck the trend slightly as this dude has been caught....eventually
.
Posted by: DESmond on 5:10am Tue 29 Apr 08
What do you mean "our taxes"? We all know your far too stupid to have a job.
What do you mean "our taxes"? We all know your far too stupid to have a job.
Posted by: Dawood Raja, Isleworth on 10:10pm Mon 5 May 08
Are You People Stupid , You Dare Say Anything Wrong About This Man .. "There Are Alwayz 2 Sides To A Story" After Following this case i Feel The Judge Was Biased In All Catogories.
Are You People Stupid , You Dare Say Anything Wrong About This Man .. "There Are Alwayz 2 Sides To A Story" After Following this case i Feel The Judge Was Biased In All Catogories.
Posted by: Dawood Raja, Isleworth on 10:11pm Mon 5 May 08
Are You People Stupid , You Dare Say Anything Wrong About This Man .. "There Are Alwayz 2 Sides To A Story" After Following this case i Feel The Judge Was Biased In All Catogories.
Are You People Stupid , You Dare Say Anything Wrong About This Man .. "There Are Alwayz 2 Sides To A Story" After Following this case i Feel The Judge Was Biased In All Catogories.
Posted by: sally backer on 8:23pm Sat 10 May 08
i feel the judge was biased in this case,it seems like its been a very unfair decsion and it is a harsh the way the media are making a big deal out of all the case!well done to Mr RAJA![bold]bold[/bold] [quote]quote[/quote]
i feel the judge was biased in this case,it seems like its been a very unfair decsion and it is a harsh the way the media are making a big deal out of all the case!well done to Mr RAJA!
quote
Posted by: Raja Jahangir, Hounslow on 5:44pm Tue 13 May 08
[bold]bold[/bold] This guy deserved this, he paid illegal immgrant peanuts to work for twelve hour shifts and didn't pay in the end. This is Karma now he has to face this
This guy deserved this, he paid illegal immgrant peanuts to work for twelve hour shifts and didn't pay in the end. This is Karma now he has to face this
Posted by: Amir Khan, Hounslow on 2:58pm Fri 16 May 08
To all the fake supporters of this EVIL man. I hope he gets gang rapped in prison..this man ripped people of..he is cursed by allah. i hate him and his evil sorts..he has blood of poor people on his hands.this man used to sleep on a bench when he first came to this country..i know him very well and his stupid family. knowing him when he gets out he will learn plenty more scams..now his face is known to the world as a cheater.he has no respect.anyone who say the court got it wrong conatct me..i will help u see the light. thank u
To all the fake supporters of this EVIL man. I hope he gets gang rapped in prison..this man ripped people of..he is cursed by allah. i hate him and his evil sorts..he has blood of poor people on his hands.this man used to sleep on a bench when he first came to this country..i know him very well and his stupid family. knowing him when he gets out he will learn plenty more scams..now his face is known to the world as a cheater.he has no respect.anyone who say the court got it wrong conatct me..i will help u see the light. thank u
Posted by: super Raja, hounslow on 4:39pm Wed 21 May 08
all the people who hate on this man are low life scums and are not even worth a dime. so my moto is "dont hate appreciate"[bold]bold[/bold]
all the people who hate on this man are low life scums and are not even worth a dime. so my moto is "dont hate appreciate"
Posted by: Raja O Raja, London on 8:29pm Thu 5 Jun 08
I think this chap was big time Harami. He thought he owned this world simply by thinking he had few car wash businesses as well as couple of restaurants and recruitment agencies.
I think justice has been done to this evil and manuplitive creature. The man also disguised his assets in Pakistan Well done to this English Justice System they have bought this criminal to Justice.
I think this chap was big time Harami. He thought he owned this world simply by thinking he had few car wash businesses as well as couple of restaurants and recruitment agencies.
I think justice has been done to this evil and manuplitive creature. The man also disguised his assets in Pakistan Well done to this English Justice System they have bought this criminal to Justice.
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