Fraud trial for Bradford Kings Science Academy free school founder

Kings Science Academy opened in Bradford in September 2011

The founder of a flagship free school in Bradford will stand trial in 2016 accused of fraud.

Sajid Raza, 42, and two other members of staff - Shabana Hussain, 38, and Daud Khan, 43 - will go on trial in June 2016 charged with a number of offences relating to their involvement at Kings Science Academy.

The charges relate to the period between April and August 2011.

Leeds Crown Court heard the trial would last six weeks.

Ex-principal Mr Raza, of Spring Gardens Road, Bradford, faces three charges of fraud, three of false accounting, two of obtaining a money transfer by deception and one of fraud by false representation.

Former head of department Ms Hussain, of Wilmer Road, Bradford, is charged with one offence of fraud by abuse of position and one offence of acquiring criminal property.

Ex-director of finance Mr Khan, of Thornhill Place, Thornbury, is charged with two offences of fraud by abuse of position and three offences of false accounting.

All three are accused of abusing their positions as officers of the academy by making a series of unauthorised and unlawful payments into the personal bank accounts of Mr Raza and Ms Hussain from a grant provided to the school by the Department for Education.

No pleas were entered at the hearing on Friday.

The academy was one of the first free schools to open in September 2011. It has since become part of the Dixons academy group.