Salesman jailed for £3m university cleaning products fraud

A salesman has been jailed for seven years for a £3.3m cleaning products fraud at the University of Edinburgh.

Aasim Johar, 53, colluded with senior manager at the university Geoff Turnbull - who has since died.

Goods were ordered and paid for, despite not being required and on some occasions not delivered.

Johar denied the charges, but was found guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh of forming a fraudulent scheme between 2005 and 2015.

Judge Lord Lake told Johar, formerly of Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, that it was a "substantial and sustained fraud".

The court heard that Johar and Mr Turnbull took advantage of lax financial controls at the university.

Mr Turnbull, who lived in North Berwick, was the former assistant director of estates and buildings at the university.

They obtained goods, hospitality, vouchers and £3.3m cash. They attempted to obtain a further £136,000 between June 2005 and November 2015.

Johar received an 8% commission on escalating sales with the institution while Mr Turnbull received gifts, vouchers and hospitality.

When police searched Mr Turnbull's home in 2016 they found Marks and Spencer vouchers and gift cards for Tesco and Rocco Forte Hotels.

They also discovered iPads and iPhones bought from Universal Solutions International of Bromley, who Johar worked for in sales.

Fraud grew and grew

Advocate depute Erin Campbell said the fraud involved ordering increasing amounts of cleaning products and other items from Universal Solutions.

She said Turnbull placed the orders with the firm and received a number of "promotions" for himself, some of which were returned to Johar and sent on to others.

She said: "The evidence suggests many of the goods were never delivered and those that were were not required by the university."

The court heard the firm set aside a percentage of income from sales for promotions that could be used for tickets for major sporting events, such as English Premier league games or the British Grand Prix, along with shopping and hospitality vouchers.

Ms Campbell told jurors the scheme started "small and grew and grew" as the men grew bolder.

"The evidence shows that Geoff Turnbull was receiving high level gifts on a regular basis and Aasim Johar was receiving commission," she said.

She added that they were "lining their own pockets under the pretence of a legitimate business relationship between the two organisations they represented".

Solicitor advocate Stuart Munro, for Johar, there was no evidence of Johar benefiting from transactions beyond the commission he received.

Mr Munro said Johar was assessed as being a very low risk of reoffending and had always insisted on his innocence.

The University of Edinburgh has raised civil proceedings at the Court of Session in Edinburgh and Johar faces a confiscation order to claw back proceeds of crime.