A Kent man who stole from the taxpayer by submitting fraudulent VAT returns has been ordered to pay back more than £62,000 or face another 19 months in jail.
Olalekan James, 47, was jailed for 18 months in July 2013 after an HMRC investigation. He pleaded guilty to submitting fraudulent VAT repayment claims worth over £140,000 for his company Zion Communications Ltd (formerly Alphavita Group of Companies Ltd), which traded in mobile phone airtime.
Robert Alder, assistant director, criminal investigation, HMRC, said: ‘James must now pay back tens of thousands of pounds, or serve more than his original sentence. If he does not pay he will still owe the money when he is eventually released.
‘HMRC works tirelessly, not only to identify fraud, but to actively seek to recover the profits of fraud.’
The confiscation hearing took place at Lewes Crown Court on 3 June 2014.