Lying Tax Civil Servant's £118K Work And Benefit Swindle

A Ghanaian immigrant employed by HM Revenue and Customs dodged prison today for a £118,000 fraud on her employer and the benefit system.

Administrator Daisy Adu-Gyamfi, 32, lied to her employers and the Department of Work and Pensions to obtain working tax credit and child benefit payments supported by forged invoices.

The mother-of-two arrived in the UK on a student visa in September 1998, which she renewed and also successfully applied for work holiday visas until given indefinite leave to remain in November 2008.

Adu-Gyamfi, of Homestead Way, New Addington pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court (pictured) to obtaining a pecuniary advantage, namely employment with HM Customs and Revenue (HMRC) and wages of £70,615 between June 2002 and December, last year.

She also pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud totalling £44,000 between September 2005 and April 2010, namely falsely claiming working tax credits by failing to declare she lived with her husband Sebastian.

She further admitted fraud relating to child benefit payments of £4,000 between July 2005 and November 2008 in which she furnished bogus nursery care invoices even though her aunt was baby-sitting the children.

Prosecutor Mr. Andrew Adams told the court Adu-Gyamfi told HMRC she was British-born and not subject to immigration controls when landing the corporation tax department job at Southern House, Wellesley Grove, Croydon in 2002.

She even provided her manager with a Ghanaian driving licence as proof of identity, but this did not prompt any investigation into her status.

Meanwhile, Adu-Gyamfi was falsely pocketing tax credit payments as a single-mum while living with her husband, with the money paid into their joint bank account.

The couple also run a charity 'Bloom Trust International' which pumps money into a Ghanaian orphanage and the construction of clean water wells.

"She also submitted false invoices purporting to show she paid nurseries far in excess of what she was paying," added Mr. Adams.

Adu-Gyamfi continued claiming nursery expenses after quitting work and looking after the children herself.

Her lawyer Mr. Steve Akinsanya told the court: "When she arrived here her intentions were honest and straightforward and she has a very good work record.

"This is a young woman who has made a series of grave mistakes and just being involved in these proceedings has taught her a salutary lesson."

Adu-Gyamfi, who has a degree in human resources from Hertfordshire University, has repaid £37,000, which was provided by her father.

"These were direct assaults on the benefits system," the Recorder of Croydon Warwick McKinnon told the first-time offender.

"You obtained tax credits when you were not entitled and provided false invoices in support and omitted to inform the authorities you withdrew your children from care.

"On the one hand you are a fraudster and on the other a valuable member of society based on these charitable works."

She was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered to perform 200 hours community service.