Birmingham butcher Munir Hussain, 53, has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for defrauding £80,000, following an investigation by the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
Hussain pleaded guilty to the offences at Birmingham Crown Court and has been ordered to repay the money he stole within three months or face a further 12 months in prison.
The owner of A.K. Halal Meat Centre in Sparkhill has been found to have faked a letter from a supplier to lie about the cost of supplies for his business, so that he could understate his sales and reduce his tax liabilities.
Hussain stole a total of £80,310 in fraudulent claims, which he reportedly spent on living expenses, including mortgage payments for three properties he owned.
Assistant director at HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, Paul Fisher, noted: “Hussain was deliberate in committing this tax fraud, going as far as providing a fake letter from his suppliers. He thought he could hide his fraud, but HMRC is determined to clamp down on tax crime.”
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
