Property baron jailed for claiming benefits
A property baron who ran a seven-year fraud claiming benefits while building up a housing portfolio worth more than �800,000 has been jailed for two years.
Sly Malik, 47, of Ripple Road, Barking, failed to declare his property rental empire or his thousands in the bank in 12 fraudulent applications for jobseekers allowance, housing and council tax benefit.
He claimed �38,952 despite having a healthy rental income, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard.
Malik said when his mother died in 2000, he was given an inheritance of �238,000 and went on to buy a property at 37 Westbury Street, Elland, Yorkshire
But in June 2002, he applied for housing and council tax.
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Malik continued to build his property empire and made 11 further dishonest claims for jobseekers allowance, housing benefit and council tax.
By the time of his last claim in April 2009, he owned nine properties and had thousands in the bank.
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The DWP carried out a two-year investigation into his activities, during which he ‘lied through his teeth’, the court heard.
Malik’s assets have now been frozen, leaving him with an allowance of just �250 a week.
Malik was sentenced to two years in prison for each of the 12 charges of making a false representation, all of which will be served concurrently.
He was ordered to pay �329 in investigation costs and �4,000 towards the cost of the trial, and could also be stripped of the profits from his crimes at a confiscation hearing set for 15 February next year.
