Crooked Immigration Judge Sentenced to Three Years for £1.8 Million Legal Aid Fraud
A former immigration judge has been jailed for three years for his role in a fraudulent scheme that defrauded taxpayers out of £1.8 million in legal aid.
Rasib Ghaffar, 54, of Essex, was convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation after it was revealed that he falsely claimed over £140,000 in legal fees for a case he was never involved in. Ghaffar, a qualified barrister and part-time immigration judge, had falsely claimed to represent clients during a 2011 trial at Bournemouth Crown Court, which involved Indian restaurants employing illegal immigrants.
The fraud involved multiple legal professionals, including a fellow barrister, solicitors, a clerk, and a costs draftsman, who together conspired to falsely claim £1,856,584 in legal costs from the Legal Aid Agency. Ghaffar was one of seven individuals convicted as part of the scam. His wife, solicitor Kareena Maciel, 52, was deemed unfit to stand trial due to health problems.
Prosecutors revealed that Ghaffar and his co-conspirators falsely reported hours of legal work that had never been done, submitting fraudulent claims for defendants who were acquitted. The aim was to claim legal costs for private clients, even though the defendants were covered under legal aid. Ghaffar personally submitted a £184,000 claim for 350 hours of work, despite no evidence that he had attended the court proceedings.
Judge Philip Bartle, KC, who sentenced Ghaffar, described the scheme as an “absolutely outrageous, dishonest attempt to get money from public funds,” exacerbated by forged documents. The fraud was primarily driven by the knowledge of the criminal justice system that the defendants would be acquitted, enabling them to claim legal costs under the false pretence of being private clients.
In addition to Ghaffar’s sentence, other co-defendants also faced jail time, including legal clerk Gazi Khan, who was jailed for five years, and solicitor Azhar Khan, who received a suspended sentence. The fraud involved multiple legal aid frauds, with a potential total of £12 million in fraudulent claims.
Impact on Ghaffar’s Career:
Ghaffar, who had worked as a barrister for 23 years and served as an immigration judge from 2006, lost his legal career and reputation after the conviction. The judge noted that Ghaffar had previously been of good character but had tarnished his legacy by participating in the fraudulent scheme.
Prosecution’s Case:
Prosecutor Paul Sharkey explained that the defendants manipulated the legal aid system by pretending to represent private clients, even though many of them had legal aid. As a result, they were able to submit false claims for work that was never done. Of the £1.8 million that was fraudulently claimed, £470,000 was paid out, further confirming the scale of the fraudulent activity.
Ghaffar’s Protestation of Innocence:
Despite the evidence, Ghaffar denied his involvement in the fraud and insisted that he was never driven by greed. He defended his actions in court, stating, “I’ve never been greedy in my life. I’ve never been taught greed, and I’ll never be greedy until the day I die.” However, the jury convicted him after just 24 hours of deliberation.
Legal Professionals Held Accountable:
Other key figures involved in the fraud included solicitor Joseph Ameyaw-Kyeremeh, who received a two-year sentence suspended for two years, and solicitor Azhar Khan, who was also given a suspended sentence in 2023. Gazi Khan’s role was described as central to the fraud, and he was sentenced to five years in prison.
Further Action:
Following the convictions, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced plans to begin confiscation proceedings to recover the proceeds of the fraud from the convicted individuals.
This case highlights the ongoing issue of corruption within the legal profession and the significant consequences of exploiting the legal aid system for personal gain.