Zaher Somani, from Leicestershire, was jailed for tax fraud and money laundering in 2015, after a HMRC investigation found he lied about his income and hid the profits from his two Loughborough taxi companies in offshore bank accounts.

Somani’s brother Pyarali and other family members were also sentenced in 2015 for their part in the conspiracy.

Somani owned two Loughborough taxi firms - A1 and Charnwood Taxis – and had 30 private hire vehicles. He provided false information about his earnings on self assessment returns while family members helped hide his company’s profits.

The family purchased property in Canada, Turkey and Morocco as well as putting cash in offshore bank accounts across the world. They shared the profits from the scam with huge amounts being spent on property, private schools and gambling.

At his original trial, the court was told Somani’s false declaration of his family income was so low that his wife claimed tax credits. During the same period he was gambling millions at casinos, and building up a property portfolio at home and abroad.

Nottingham Crown Court has ruled that Zaher, who was a serving magistrate in the Loughborough area, must repay a total of £254,375 within three months – plus £54,000 costs – or face another two years in prison. Pyarali must pay £188,812 plus £28,000 costs.

Stuart Taylor, assistant director, fraud investigation service, HMRC, said: ‘Somani had the audacity to sit in judgement on others while living a life funded by crime. He and his brother are being stripped of their illegal profits.’