Tomorrow (Thursday 31 October 2013) Reigate & Banstead Borough Council’s fraud investigators will make their television debut on the BBC’s Saints and Scroungers programme.
The series, fronted by Matt Allwright, looks at both sides of the benefits system, focusing on the “scroungers” who steal from the public purse and the Councils taking positive action to hold the fraudsters to account and the “saints” who help people access the benefits and assistance they are entitled to, but maybe weren’t aware or were unable to claim.
The episode in which the Council features centres around our investigations into a £77,000 fraud committed by a former Kingswood resident, Younus Algohar, against the Council, the DWP and the London Borough of Bromley.
Mr Algohar (45), formerly of The Chase, Kingswood was prosecuted by the Council earlier this year for making a series of false representations to gain benefits that he was not entitled to. The programme shows how our investigators uncovered the fraud, which totalled £77,646 and spanned three different addresses in two boroughs.
Cllr Julian Ellacott, Executive Member for Housing and Welfare, who also features in the documentary, said:
“We were really pleased to feature in the programme as it shows the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to tackle benefit fraud in the borough. It also shows how we work with other authorities to bring those who commit fraud to justice.
“So far this financial year, our Corporate Anti Fraud & Anti Corruption Team has carried out investigations into fraud totalling over £851,000. Benefits are there to help those that really need them, not for those that cheat the system for their own ends. I hope this sends the message that in Reigate and Banstead fraud will not be tolerated.”
The show airs on BBC 1 on Thursday 31 October at 11am and is repeated on Friday 1 November at 7am on BBC 2. You can also watch the episode afterwards on BBC iPlayer.
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bbc has done a great job , this is the real face of this hypocrite. eyes of his followers are totally close and they dont want to see this kind of reality.