Greedy restaurant owners forced to pay back £600,000 after tax scam
Four greedy Black Country fraudsters who ran swanky Indian restaurants have been ordered to pay back more than £600,000 from a fraud that saw them hide sales to evade tax.
Mohammed Sharif Uddin, 51, Mizanur Rahman, 47, Sadiqur Rahman, 48, all of Wednesbury, along with Abul Kamal, 44, of West Bromwich, were jailed for a total of 10 years in 2018 and disqualified from acting as directors for a total of 24 years.
The men lied about their takings stealing more than £500,000 in tax while managing Panache restaurant in Sutton Coldfield.
They also stole another £295,000 in tax credits by lying about their income.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has already helped recover £490,000 after confiscation hearings concluded against Kamal, Uddin and Sadiqur Rahman at Birmingham Crown Court on May 10, 2021.
At a final confiscation hearing at the same court on October 8 Mizanhur Rhaman was ordered to pay a further £110,940.
He must pay within 28 days or will face a further 12 months in prison.
Debbie Porter, assistant director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “Our work does not stop when someone is convicted.
"We will always seek to reclaim criminal money and assets. Confiscated proceeds of crime are redistributed into the public purse, which helps fund vital services such as schools and hospitals."
She added: "If you know of anyone who is committing tax fraud, you can report them to HMRC online, or call our Fraud Hotline on 0800 788 887.”
HMRC investigators found the men hid the majority of their cash takings and pocketed staff tips from Panache, Sutton Coldfield.
The Rahmans also failed to pay £240,000 VAT on the sale of their former Stafford and Lichfield restaurants.
All four admitted fraud during a hearing at Birmingham Crown Court on December 14, 2017 and were jailed in November 2018.