Wolverhampton councillor claimed Covid grant for shut takeaway

Harman Banger is an independent councillor in Wolverhampton

A former council cabinet member tried to fraudulently claim thousands from the government's Covid recovery fund.

Harman Banger, 40, and his wife Neena Kumari, 38, of Bilston Road, in Wolverhampton, applied for £10,000 for a defunct pizza restaurant.

The money was not awarded after police found the restaurant was in a state of disrepair and was not even connected to an electricity supply.

The pair were both found guilty of fraud by false representation.

After appearing at Birmingham Magistrates' Court, the couple were granted unconditional bail ahead of sentencing at the city's Crown court on 14 January.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Mr Banger had used his knowledge from having cabinet responsibilities at the City of Wolverhampton Council to "cheat the system".

His wife submitted an application in April 2020 for a small business grant for the firm they both owned, Pizza Plus, claiming it had been operating since October 2019.

With support from West Midlands Police, the council's own counter-fraud team found the business had not been connected to electricity until the month after the application was submitted. The restaurant was also boarded up and clearly not in operation.

The CPS said Mr Banger, who was suspended from Labour when allegations emerged, "abused his position of power... in order to defraud the public at a time of national crisis".

In the week before his arrest in June 2020, he had stood down from his cabinet job for city economy.

The BBC has approached the City of Wolverhampton Council for comment.