A corrupt council officer who gave tenancies worth £2.4 million to fraudsters claiming to be homeless has been jailed for five years.
Trudy Ali-Balogun, 55...
There's
a good old East End name!
Biayo Awotiwon, 47, and Adeyemi Olalekan Oyedele, 48, were jailed for five months each.
Kudiartu Falana, 60, was jailed for five months, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service.
Joseph Akin Oliaya, 53, was jailed for six months, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service.
And I can't help but feel some sympathy for Cameron,
monstered over his recent comments about Nigerian corruption.
Awotiwon received £226,000 of housing for 12 years at a property in Tooley Street in Southwark, and is refusing to leave.
Oyedele, 48, a former assistant to the Nigerian High Commissioner, is refusing to leave his Bermondsey flat.
Deport them. Now.
Fiona Colley, Southwark Council’s cabinet member for finance, modernisation and performance, said: “Today’s sentencing concludes a lengthy investigation into fraud and deception at the hands of someone who abused their position of trust for their own selfish gains.
“I’m glad that the penalty reflects the severity of the crimes committed and I hope this send out a clear message about just how seriously we take housing fraud. Southwark’s waiting list is filled with hundreds of people in genuine need of a home. We will continue to cater to these people whilst also bringing those who take advantage of the system to justice.”
Bit pointless, when you show no signs of changing your employment criteria too...
"Refusing to leave"
ReplyDeleteWhen did we confuse people by asking nicely when it is, in fact, an order? When too did we fail to make people understand that failure to comply means they will not only be gone be gone in another way but gone a long way off. I mean, a really long way...
Want to take housing fraud seriously? Don't employ foreigners in public offices. Simples.
ReplyDeleteNot all foreigners are equal. Where would you expect corruption to be greater, Nigeria or Finland? That said, there is simply no good reason to allow significant numbers of Nigerians settle here. As a culture they have nothing to offer us - even their food seems unappealing, and you can't always be sure what animal the meat comes from.
DeleteTrudy will be out in two and a half years, getting time off for good behaviour as soon as the prison van rolls through the gates. She will no doubt demand a special diet and other perks not available to the average con. Then, when she is released, she will go straight to the top of the housing list as ex prisoners are a priority to avoid them going back to crime - yes, I know, I find it political madness too! She should be made to pay back all the money defrauded or face another year in clink for every ten grand or so (she could always ask one of those Nigerian ministers who have several million to sneak out of the country. As far as the others are concerned, custodial sentences should have been made. It appears that even Judges have to be naïve to be appointed these days.
ReplyDeletePenseivat
How can they "refuse to leave"? I thought they were in prison a place not normally associated with flats etc. It is not their gaff anyway and were it so it should be sold to reimburse the taxpayer for the monies stolen.
ReplyDeleteThe British are being skinned alive and they don’t seem to know it.
ReplyDeleteI'm reminded of the Hackney Council scandal involving the recruitment of countless West Africans with false qualifications and references and the subsequent unorthodox approach to council housing allocations, which quickly transformed into a scandal of 'How very dare you racists notice what we are up to?' And that was in the 80s - we're not fast learners, are we?
ReplyDelete"When did we confuse people by asking nicely when it is, in fact, an order?"
ReplyDeleteBeats me. No other country, I'm sure, beats around the bush like this.
"Not all foreigners are equal."
A fact everyone knows, but politely tries to hide.
"It appears that even Judges have to be naïve to be appointed these days."
We're doomed... :/
"...which quickly transformed into a scandal of 'How very dare you racists notice what we are up to?' And that was in the 80s - we're not fast learners, are we?"
Nope!