Czech migrant gang target our benefits systemA CZECH Republic family attacked Britain’s benefits system by flying in “benefits tourists” to claim hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers money.
The defendants arranged for foreign nationals, usually from Slovakia, to come to the UK, where they had a right to work and claim benefit.
The Nottingham-based gang each had differing roles in the plot to con HMRC out of tax credits – a benefit to help low-income workers.
The visitors were housed, helped to obtain National Insurance numbers, open a bank account and be interpreter at HMRC, banks and the Job Centre, say investigators, and were effectively “benefit tourists”.
Tax credit claims were made and the cash paid into the newly-opened bank account, then withdrawn, and controlled by one of the gang.
Four gang members were found guilty yesterday of conspiracy to commit fraud by making false representations to HMRC between January 1, 2008, and April 14, 2010.
Defendants Iveta Ferkova, 32, of Cardinal Close, St Ann’s; her sister Magdalena Ferkova, 33; Jan Lacko, 39, and Alena Lackova, who are husband and wife, were convicted.
Alena, 39, a mother-of-three, of the same address as Lacko in Edale Road, Sneinton, is Magdalena and Iveta’s aunt.
They all denied having roles in the conspiracy.
A fifth defendant Julius Ziga, 34, formerly of Cromer Road, St Ann’s, who was Magdalena’s partner at the time, pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy.
Judge James Sampson told the jury as he summed up the case against the four who denied the charge: “In the case of each of the defendants, the prosecution say he or she agreed with the other’s knowledge to commit a fraud on HMRC.
“The prosecution say they had a common aim and shared resources to commit a fraud. The fact they are all charged with the same conspiracy doesn’t mean they are all as deeply involved. They played different roles.
“He or she may not be the person who in fact makes a false representation. Not all the conspirators need to be named on the indictment. The prosecution do not have to have everyone in the dock.”
Abdul Iqbal, for Jan Lacko, said no money passed to his client’s bank account from the fraud and he did not get the National Insurance numbers for any claimant.
Lackova’s barrister, Arshad Khan, said there was no evidence she knew any tax credit claims were made at her two addresses.
“There is no evidence she lived a life of Riley,” he said
The judge will sentence the defendants on November 4
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