Canning Town civil servant faces jail in �1m scam

AN OFFICIAL from Canning Town in the Government’s Works and Pensions Department played a “key role” in a �1.3m tax credit scam.

Olajumkoke Ademuyiwa, 42, of Tarling Road, had payroll records for hundreds of workers at major �companies. Their names and personal details were used to make false tax credit claims and set up 150 bank accounts to accept payment and launder the cash over a four year period, the court was told.

Jonathan Kinnear, prosecuting, said Ademuyiwa and other Nigerians were part of a “sophisticated and organised criminal gang which cheated the Revenue, and by extension the UK taxpayer”.

He said fraudsters hijacked the identities of �ordinary working people for large employers such as BHP �Billiton, a major mining company, and the Walt �Disney Corporation.

How they obtained the records is not known.

Olaide Taiwo, 35 from Peckham Rye, south east London was the ring leader, it was alleged. He was jailed for eight-and-a-half years at Inner London Crown Court. Ademuyiwa was remanded in custody ahead of �sentencing on April 4. Both denied cheating the public revenue and facilitating the acquisition, use or control of criminal �property, between June 1, 2004 and July 16, 2008. They were found guilty but cleared of money laundering.

A second woman, Omolola Samuel, 44, from Peckham, south east London, denied the same charges and jurors failed to reach verdicts. The prosecution said a retrial would not be in the public interest.

Ajayi Oluyemi, Taiwo’s brother, evaded arrest on July 16, 2008 and remains wanted.