Benefits investigator helped wife pocket £31,000 in handouts

A benefits fraud investigator has been jailed for 27 months after helping his wife pocket £31,000 in state handouts.

Mohammed Aslam, 37, abused the system so Afshan Ishaq could make claims posing as a single parent.

But Harrow crown court heard that, in reality, they were living together and as well as working as a teacher, his wife was collecting rent from one of their properties.

The court heard that when Ishaq, also 37, fell under suspicion the Department of Work and Pensions investigator dissuaded her from attending an interview with a colleague.

Despite having wed the previous year, he pretended the mother-of-two was a stranger so he could "hijack and corrupt the investigation".

Aslam, of Wembley, and Ishaq, who now lives separately nearby, originally denied any wrongdoing but later changed some of their pleas.

Ishaq admitted three deception counts involving housing and council tax benefits as well as income support.

Aslam pleaded guilty to wilful misconduct in public office, money laundering and three counts of perverting the course of justice. All the offences were committed between 18 April 2004 and
2 July last year.

Aslam was also ordered to pay a £31,477 confiscation order or face a further year behind bars and contribute £10,000 towards prosecution costs.

Judge Graham Arran said he could suspend Ishaq's six-month prison sentence because she had two children and it was clear her co-defendant had "instigated" the fraud.

However, she was told she would have to pay £500 towards prosecution costs and carry out 100 hours unpaid work.