Zeeshan Ashraf, 44, an accountant, abused the UK's CoVid-19 relief funds to claim more than GBP300,000 of funds he was not entitled to. 

His successful claims amounted to GBP268,102.07 of which some GBP27,000 was part of the "Eat Out to Help Out" scheme designed to encourage people to return to restaurants after the lockdown ended. He tried to claim a further GBP52,732.66. 

According to the Crown Prosecution Service "The accountant from Hall Green in Birmingham used his company - AZ Certified Accounting Limited - to claim bounce back loans from Barclays, Starling, and NatWest banks in 2020. In each application he said the money would help his business during the pandemic but spent the GBP50,000 he secured from each bank on his personal lifestyle. In his applications he inflated the turnover of the company to claim the maximum amount and did not disclose to the last two banks that he had already made an application to Barclays. Only one application was permitted.

He fraudulently received GBP91,174 under the Covid Job Retention Scheme by making multiple applications to HM Revenue and Customs on behalf of his business clients which were false or unauthorised. His claims for a further GBP38,082 did not succeed.

Ashraf swindled the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme, administered by HM Revenue and Customs, out of GBP26,928 by making numerous applications on behalf of hospitality companies which did not exist, or which did not operate in the restaurant trade. He unsuccessfully tried to claim a further GBP14,651 under the scheme. 

Full details: https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/fraudster-who-defrauded-covid-eat-out-h…