Leicester-based couple jailed for tax evasion

A COMPANY boss and his wife, who funded their lavish lifestyle through a £194,280 tax fraud, have been sentenced.

Shezaad Karim, 40, of Leicester, deliberately hid company sales, lied about his income to evade paying taxes, a Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) investigation has revealed.

Karim, director of MAK Digital (AA) Ltd, which traded in electronics and mobile phone accessories, and wife Sabina Karim, 48, used the stolen cash to fund several luxury holidays, home improvements, cars, and gold jewellery.

Karim admitted to the frauds and money laundering, whereas Sabina Karim pleaded guilty to money laundering this year.

He was sentenced to 28 months in prison and disqualified from acting as a director for seven years at Leicester Crown Court on Thursday (26).

Sabina Karim was handed an 18-month prison sentence suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out 150 hours unpaid work at the same court.

Richard Paris, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC said: “Karim made a deliberate decision to lie to evade his tax obligations, and his wife helped him launder the stolen money to line their own pockets.

HMRC uncovered the fraud after discrepancies in the company’s shipping information was flagged.

Investigators found that Karim had received around £600,000 in online sales over a three-year period, but deliberately hid this from HMRC to evade tax payments.

He also created false invoices in an attempt to cover his tracks. The stolen cash was withdrawn from their accounts in large amounts.

The two were arrested and their home and business addresses searched in July 2017.

Officers uncovered the key to a safety deposit box in Birmingham.

The gold jewellery and £180,000 in cash were discovered inside the safety deposit box which was seized and forfeited.

Karim was charged with one count of value-added tax (VAT) evasion, one count of income tax evasion, and one count of money laundering.

Sabina Karim was charged with one count of money laundering.