CPS News Brief

Nine charged over A4E fraud

Sue Patten, Head of Fraud at the Crown Prosecution Service, said:

“Following an investigation by the Thames Valley Police Economic Crime Unit, the CPS has authorised charges against six women and three men in connection with alleged fraudulent activity at Action 4 Employment (A4E), a social purpose company contracted by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to deliver the ‘Inspire to Aspire’ employment and training scheme.

“It is alleged that between February 2009 and February 2013 nine A4E employees including one contract manager, seven recruiters and an administrator, employed across three A4E offices in the South East of England, committed numerous offences of fraud. It is alleged that they forged documentation to support fraudulent claims to the DWP for reward payments which, under the terms of the contract, were paid out when the scheme successfully placed individuals in employment. It is alleged that many of the reward payments related either to people who never attended A4E or to clients whom A4E had not successfully placed in employment. The contract was to deliver motivation and training and to assist people to find employment.

“The nine individuals are charged with a total of 60 offences, including conspiracy to defraud, multiple counts of forgery, and making and possessing articles for use in fraud.

"This decision to prosecute was taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors. We have determined that there is a realistic prospect of conviction and that a prosecution is in the public interest.

"All individuals will appear before Slough Magistrates' Court on 14 October 2013.

"All individuals are now the subject of criminal proceedings and have the right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that nothing should be reported which could in any way prejudice these proceedings."

Full Charges:

Ines Cano-Uribe (Contract Manager) - Charged with one count of forgery contrary to section 1 Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 and one count of conspiracy to defraud contrary to Common Law.

Zabar Khalil (Administrator) - Charged with five counts of forgery contrary to section 1 Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 and one count of conspiracy to defraud contrary to Common Law.

Charles McDonald (Recruiter) - Charged with seven counts of forgery contrary to section 1 Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, two counts of making articles for use in fraud contrary to section 7(1)(a) of the Fraud Act 2006 and one count of possessing articles for use in fraud contrary to section 6(1) of the Fraud Act 2006.

Nikki Foster (Recruiter) – Charged with ten counts of forgery contrary to section 1 Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981.

Julie Grimes (Recruiter) - Charged with ten counts of forgery contrary to section 1 Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981.

Aditi Singh (Recruiter) - Charged with three counts of forgery contrary to section 1 Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 and one count of possessing articles for use in fraud contrary to section 6(1) of the Fraud Act 2006.

Bindiya Dholiwar (Recruiter) - Charged with seven counts of forgery contrary to section 1 Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981.

Dean Lloyd (Recruiter) - Charged with thirteen counts of forgery contrary to section 1 Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981.

Yasmin Ahmad (Recruiter) - Charged with two counts of forgery contrary to section 1 Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981.

Operation Imperial - three men charged

Statement from Catrin Evans, Head of Complex Casework Unit, CPS Cymru-Wales:

“The Crown Prosecution Service has been working alongside Gwent Police as their investigations under Operation Imperial, an anti-slavery operation set up to investigate allegations of mistreatment, have progressed. In particular, we have been offering advice and guidance to the police since four suspects were arrested on Monday.

“I have now carried out a review of the evidence gathered by Gwent Police in relation to three of these suspects. My review has been carried out under the threshold test of the Code for Crown Prosecutors. My conclusion is that there is sufficient evidence to charge Thomas Doran, Daniel Doran and David Daniel Doran with false imprisonment, conspiracy to hold a person in servitude and conspiracy to require a person to perform forced or compulsory labour. In addition, there is sufficient evidence to charge Thomas Doran with kidnapping by fraud. In respect of each of these offences, I have also concluded that charges are in the public interest.

“Accordingly, I have authorised Gwent Police to charge the three defendants and they will appear before magistrates on Thursday.

“May I remind all concerned that these three defendants retain the right to a fair trial and police investigations into these matters are ongoing. Whilst public interest in Operation Imperial has, understandably, been considerable, I would ask that nothing is placed in the public domain which could ultimately undermine the criminal justice process.”

Notes to editors:

Thomas Doran, Daniel Doran and David Daniel Doran are charged with:

FALSE IMPRISONMENT, contrary to common law

CONSPIRACY TO HOLD A PERSON IN SERVITUDE, contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977

CONSPIRACY TO REQUIRE A PERSON TO PERFORM FORCED OR COMPULSORY LABOUR, contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977

Additionally, Thomas Doran is charged with:

KIDNAPPING, contrary to common law

The three defendants will appear before Cwmbran Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 26 September.

Caroline Lucas MP Charged over Balcombe Fracking Protests

Nigel Pilkington, a senior lawyer with the Crown Prosecution Service South East, said:

"Following an investigation by Sussex police, the Crown Prosecution Service has received a file of evidence in relation to Ms Caroline Lucas MP, who was arrested during the anti-fracking demonstrations at the Cuadrilla drilling site in Balcombe last month.

"After careful consideration, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to prosecute Ms Lucas for breaching a police order on public assemblies and wilful obstruction of the highway.

“Sussex Police has therefore been authorised to charge one count of breach of a section 14 order contrary to section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 and one count of Wilful Obstruction of the Highway contrary to section 137 of the Highways Act 1980. Both offences are alleged to have taken place on 19 August 2013.

“The decision has been taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and the DPP’s guidance on cases involving public protest.

“These are summary offences which can only be tried at Magistrates' Court.

"Ms Lucas will appear before Crawley Magistrates' Court on 9 October 2013.”