Harrow accountant and sibling guilty over £400k tax fraud

Harrow accountant Abu Talib Ghadiri, 34, has been found guilty for his involvement in a £400,000 Gift Aid and VAT fraud which involved his brother after an intensive HMRC investigation. HMRC found that Ghadiri and his brother Mohsin Raza, 33, were running a Gift Aid fraud linked to two charities – the Fatimiyya Trust and The Light Charity, both of which claimed to promote education, development of medical centres and help for victims of natural disasters in Pakistan.

In addition, Ghadiri made false VAT repayment claims for £47,000, which were linked to seven bogus companies. He claimed the companies had been set up by his estranged ex-girlfriend and he was not involved, despite his home serving as the registered address and his national insurance number being connected to the charities’ accounts.