Eat Out to Help Out fraudster ordered to pay back £110,000

Mohammed Ikram has three months to pay back almost £110,000 he stole under the government's Covid scheme in 2020

An ex-councillor has been ordered to repay a quarter of the £434,000 he tried to steal through the government's Eat Out to Help Out scheme in 2020.

Mohammed Ikram, 36, of Keighley, was jailed in March for two-and-a-half years after making 19 fake claims in August and September of that year.

He was paid out nearly £190,000 for eight different food outlets.

At Bradford Crown Court, Recorder Tahir Khan KC told Ikram to pay back almost £110,000 in the next three months.

Ikram resigned from Keighley Town Council in 2022 and pleaded guilty to 29 fraud charges covering the four-week period in 2020.

Under then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak's initiative, food outlets offered 50% discounts to aid the hospitality sector as Covid-19 restrictions were relaxed.

A judge said Ikram had abused a scheme "designed to help businesses during a terribly difficult time" when he was sentenced in March

At the time of Ikram's sentencing, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said it was the first fraud conviction associated with the scheme after it managed to recover more than £96,000 from bank accounts held by his wife following an investigation.

Deputy Circuit Judge Timothy Clayson said Ikram's offending was motivated by greed after hearing the scam was aimed at paying off debts he had run up operating a care home.

Prosecutor Timothy Jacobs said six of the businesses Ikram had claimed for were "fictitious" with one of the firms turning out to be a barber shop.

During the Proceeds of Crime Act hearing on Tuesday, Mr Jacobs said Ikram benefited by £109,939.64 from his scam.

He had available assets of £86,000, which included a 50% equity share in a property in Keighley and a "tainted gift" of £60,000 which was already subject to a restraint order, the court heard.

Judge Khan said he was making a confiscation order against Ikram for the total amount he gained and would face a further 12 months in prison if he did not repay the sum in time.

It is understood Ikram could be released from his sentence in a few weeks' time.