Court Told Of Benefit Fraud Couple's £188K Property Swindle

A benefit fraud couple were the masterminds behind a seven-year £188,000 swindle, which involved multiple aliases and a secret property portfolio financed by taxpayers, a jury have been told.

Mother-of-two Nicole Mwamba, 47, of 66 Campbell Road, Caterham lied on mortgage applications that she was a well-paid professional then repaid the loans with illegally-claimed housing benefit, Croydon Crown Court heard.

She is responsible for bogus claims totalling £142,000 and her husband William Kapuya, 47, of 66 Campbell Road, another £46,000 it is alleged.

Prosecutor Miss Francesca Levett told the court Mwamba bought a flat at in Beulah Grove, Selhurst for £165,000 in November, 2004 in a different name to her housing benefit claim, which began in 1998.

She told lenders whe was earning £42,000 with a housing organisation, despite never working, and slapped down an £18,000 cash deposit even though insisting she had no savings or assets in her benefit claim.

Mwamba later rented out the property and moved into an address secretly owned by her doctor brother in Orleans Road, Upper Norwood before buying her current home for £280,000 after putting down a £27,000 cash deposit.

“This case involves a number of identities and addresses and throughout her claims Mwamba said she had no savings or capital,” explained Miss Levett.

After buying the Beulah Grove property Mwamba continued claiming benefits in her different married name.

“She was keen to keep these two identities appart. This was a calculated and contrived decision by Mwamba to only give the Department and Work and Pensions (DWP) the information she wanted them to know.”

Meanwhile Kapuya was claiming housing benefit in Fernadale Road, Brixton and then in Partridge Knoll, Purley while keeping his marriage secret and claimed an extra severe disability premium while insisting he did not have a partner.

When buying the second property Mwamba told lenders she was a £57,000 a year finance director.

“As a benefit claimant she was poor and needy, but as a mortgage applicant she was successful and employed,” said Miss Levett.

As long ago as December 14, 2005 Mwamba was called in by Croydon council for a compliance interview, but the frauds continued regardless, the jury were told.

She did not declare the Orleans Road home was owned by her brother when claiming £1,200 per month housing benefit, a detail Croydon council would have wanted to know to avoid potential fraud.

Kapuya was still receiving housing benefit for the Ferndale Road address while living in Campbell Road when he was arrested on October 11, 2011.

Mwamba claimed £1,000 housing benefit from Tandridge District Council for the same three-bedroom house, with the money paid into a secret bank account she had failed to declare.

“It was to generate income for Mwamba to pay her mortgage. Mwamba has never worked and she needed to pay her mortgage somehow.”

She also had an income support claim under one of her aliases paid into the bank account of her fifteen year-old daughter.

Mwamba has pleaded not guilty to two counts of failing to notify a change of circumstances to the London Borough of Croydon on or about November 3, 2004, in relation to a housing benefit and council tax benefit claim, namely that she had purchased 52a Beulah Grove.

She is similarly charged with making false representations in relation to the two benefit claims regarding the property on or about December 15, 2004 and May 23, 2006.

She also denies failing to notify a change in circumstances on or about November 23, 2007, namely that she had purchased 66 Campbell Road and making a false representation in relation to the Beulah Grove and Campbell Road addresses, namely failing to declare she lived with her partner.

Mwamba has pleaded not guilty to three counts of fraud against Tandridge District Council between December 5, 2007 and February 9, 2011; two counts of making false representation to the DWP regarding property ownership and failing to notify a change of circumstances to the DWP.

Kapuya has pleaded not guilty to two counts of fraud against Croydon council in that he failed to disclose he was living with Mwamba and that he needed housing and making a false representation to the council in relation to a housing benefit and council tax benefit claim regarding the Purley Knoll home.

He also denies making a false representation to the DWP regarding a severe disability premium claim, which would have inceased his existing income support payments.

The trial is expected to last two weeks.