The three principals of a flagship academy school in Bradford, including the former finance director, have been found guilty of defrauding the government of £150,000 obtained via grants and warned that they face possible jail sentences
Following a six-week trial at Leeds Crown Court, Sajid Raza, who set up Kings Science Academy in 2011, former finance director Daud Khan, and Raza’s sister, Shabana Hussain, who was a head of department at the school, will all be sentenced in September.
The court heard that the three diverted public money which was intended for the 500-place academy into private bank accounts and created false documents to cover this up such as fabricated invoices from teachers and recruitment companies. Invoices for building rent were also inflated.
Raza was said to be having financial problems with his buy to let properties because he had county court judgments against him. He was convicted on four counts of fraud, three counts of false accounting and two of obtaining money transfer by deception. Some of the offences related to providing false financial information for mortgage applications.
Khan was convicted on two counts of fraud and three of false accounting. He did not receive any payments but the prosecution claimed the offences could not have happened without his ‘dishonesty and participation’.
Hussain was found guilty on one charge of fraud and one of acquiring criminal property.
Judge Christopher Batty told the defendants: ‘You have been convicted of serious offences and I am very much considering custody in each of your cases.’
The Crown Prosecution Service claimed Raza treated the academy ‘like a family business, employing his relatives there and, for at least the first 12 months, operating with no proper governance’ and said the three defendants ‘treated public money as their own’.
Speaking after the verdict, senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Jon Morgan of West Yorkshire Police, said: ‘This was a complex inquiry which involved a thorough investigation of all aspects of the school’s governance and its finances over a number of years.
‘Raza, Hussain and Khan were in positions of trust, stealing thousands of pounds of public money which was intended for the development of a newly formed academy.
‘They acted selfishly and dishonestly in obtaining these funds and I would like to thank everyone who has helped uncover their unscrupulous activities and brought them to justice.’
