0:00:02 > 0:00:05One of the things that makes this country great is whenever we find
0:00:05 > 0:00:07someone in genuine need, we help them out.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10This money can help to transform people's lives.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12I was in total turmoil.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15But then whenever there's cash on offer,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18you'll always find someone who wants to steal it.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20A sustained and calculated fraud.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Those greedy few are being brought to justice.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26They could potentially face prison as well.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30This is the world of Saints And Scroungers.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57The tax we pay in Britain fills the public purse to support
0:00:57 > 0:00:59those in need.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01Sadly, a fraction of this money ends up lining
0:01:01 > 0:01:04the pockets of greedy fraudsters.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08Saints And Scroungers shines a light on the investigators ensuring
0:01:08 > 0:01:10cheats get their comeuppance.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13And the saints who strive to help those that deserve support to
0:01:13 > 0:01:15claim what's rightfully theirs.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Coming up on today's show...
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Cash-hungry charity cheats willing to go as low as you can go
0:01:23 > 0:01:26to line their pockets.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Money's being taken away from the most vulnerable people in society.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33And I meet a terminally ill lady whose battle for benefits
0:01:33 > 0:01:36brings about much more than she'd bargained for.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39You've helped hundreds, possibly thousands, of people
0:01:39 > 0:01:40in similar situations to you.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42It was put right throughout the country.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Hello and welcome to an appeal for my charity,
0:01:50 > 0:01:53the Matt Allwright Charity, helping to fill
0:01:53 > 0:01:57my pockets at the expense of those who really need it.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01And sadly, people do occasionally cheat charities to make
0:02:01 > 0:02:03themselves a quick buck.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05Most of them appear to be legitimate.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09Like this one, Astonbrook Housing Association, which was
0:02:09 > 0:02:14started in Birmingham in 2001 by this man, 54-year-old Mohammed Arwo.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16What a selfless fella.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18It was all about giving homeless people
0:02:18 > 0:02:22and those seeking asylum from war-torn countries a bed,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25a bit of food and help getting a job, once they'd settled.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27Well, he sounds like a saint.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31That was until a tip-off telling a slightly different story
0:02:31 > 0:02:34landed on the desk of Detective Sergeant Emma Hickl.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38In the early part of 2007,
0:02:38 > 0:02:43Birmingham City Council received an anonymous
0:02:43 > 0:02:47email from a whistleblower that claimed that at Astonbrook
0:02:47 > 0:02:52Housing Association there was theft of funds and fraud occurring.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55If true, it would mean that money set aside for the homeless
0:02:55 > 0:02:57and asylum seekers could be at risk.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01And what's worse, the whistleblower suggested the charity's boss,
0:03:01 > 0:03:05Mr Arwo, and his fellow directors were the ones stashing the cash.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Now, before passing the case on to the police,
0:03:08 > 0:03:12Birmingham City Council and the UK Border Agency had already
0:03:12 > 0:03:15carried out their own initial investigation.
0:03:15 > 0:03:20To see if the allegation had legs, DS Hickl and the team had to
0:03:20 > 0:03:23sift through the findings to get up to speed on the charity.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27They were a recognised provider of accommodation
0:03:27 > 0:03:31and services for asylum seekers and vulnerable people
0:03:31 > 0:03:35and they were trusted by public bodies, such as the council.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38We've got in our records that they engaged probably over 100
0:03:38 > 0:03:42private landlords, so they definitely provided some accommodation
0:03:42 > 0:03:44and some support to some asylum seekers.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50OK, so they were actually providing a service to people in society
0:03:50 > 0:03:53who, let's face it, could do with a helping hand.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57Doesn't sound like the type of business being run by people
0:03:57 > 0:04:00who are then funnelling funds into their own pockets.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03But - and there's always a but - there was money coming in to
0:04:03 > 0:04:08the charity, and when I say money, I'm not talking about shrapnel.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Astonbrook Housing Association were awarded
0:04:11 > 0:04:15funds from Birmingham City Council in about 2002
0:04:15 > 0:04:18and the value of the money that they received was about
0:04:18 > 0:04:21£1.2 million a year.
0:04:21 > 0:04:27In 2006, they were awarded another contract and that was much bigger.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31It meant that the money that they received went from about £1.2 million
0:04:31 > 0:04:36a year to about £1.2 million a month.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44A little bit of mental arithmetic will tell you that this
0:04:44 > 0:04:48charity was taking in £14 million a year.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52But just that huge sum of money doesn't mean that the boss
0:04:52 > 0:04:55and the board of directors were trousering some of it.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Got to keep an open mind.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02However, DS Hickl thought otherwise after discovering something
0:05:02 > 0:05:05interesting in the council's investigation notes after
0:05:05 > 0:05:07interviewing the charity staff.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10They felt from the work that they had done that there was a huge
0:05:10 > 0:05:13disparity between the level of service that was being provided
0:05:13 > 0:05:16and the amount of money that the organisation was receiving.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18They were all unhappy
0:05:18 > 0:05:22and dissatisfied with what they thought was going on there.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24And now, having swotted up on the case notes,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27DS Hickl and the team were happy there was enough suspicion to
0:05:27 > 0:05:30launch a full-scale police investigation.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33They knew that if there were things going on at the charity that
0:05:33 > 0:05:36shouldn't have been, one whiff of the police
0:05:36 > 0:05:40sniffing about could lead the bosses to get the shredders out.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44The team weren't taking any chances, and got straight down to business.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47DC Andy Smith was part of the investigating team.
0:05:47 > 0:05:53Warrants would have been sought to recover any documentation
0:05:53 > 0:05:56of evidence that the offence was carrying on.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02The building behind me is the offices of Astonbrook Housing Association.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05We needed to execute a warrant at this premises.
0:06:05 > 0:06:10And the team knew exactly what they were looking for.
0:06:10 > 0:06:15Computer equipment, documents, invoices, requisition forms.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Um...
0:06:17 > 0:06:21Cheque stubs, anything that related to Astonbrook Housing Association.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24That sounds like a serious amount of work.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28If that wasn't enough, the police also had warrants to raid the homes
0:06:28 > 0:06:31of the managing director Mohammed Arwo and the other main players
0:06:31 > 0:06:33at the charity.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Nothing could prepare them for what they were about to bag.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40There were over ten addresses that we needed to execute warrants at,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43so this meant that we needed a large number of officers.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Over 70 were involved in those raids,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49with over 100,000 documents being seized
0:06:49 > 0:06:51and over 90 computers being seized.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53100,000 documents!
0:06:53 > 0:06:57A great result for the team, as they knew somewhere in the paperwork
0:06:57 > 0:07:01there could be vital evidence, but then on the flipside,
0:07:01 > 0:07:04it could take months or even years to go through it all.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08So the team decided to haul Mr Arwo and his merry men in,
0:07:08 > 0:07:12to see if they would crack under questioning.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Down at the station, the suspects were keeping tight-lipped.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19At that moment in time,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23because we hadn't reviewed any of the documentation we'd seized,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25we didn't have the evidence to put to them
0:07:25 > 0:07:27at that interview at that time.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29With no charges to pin on the suspects,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32they had no choice but to let them loose.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Obviously, we can only keep people in custody
0:07:35 > 0:07:36for a certain amount of time.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40They were bailed to return at a later date.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44It was starting to look as though the team had broken down
0:07:44 > 0:07:47a dozen doors and seized enough paperwork to fill
0:07:47 > 0:07:51the Albert Hall - the first front two rows - and all for nothing.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55They were going to have to go back and do things the old-fashioned
0:07:55 > 0:08:01way, by sifting through all the paperwork - 100,000 pieces of it.
0:08:01 > 0:08:07We had traced a significant amount of the money to a bank account in Dubai.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11But will their investigation get lost in the desert?
0:08:11 > 0:08:15We can only go so far, tracing the money from the UK,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18until it lands in an account in Dubai.
0:08:18 > 0:08:19We can't go any further.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26For now, it's farewell to the fraudsters
0:08:26 > 0:08:28and hello to the people we call our saints.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32Those in society that help others in genuine need
0:08:32 > 0:08:33but who are too proud
0:08:33 > 0:08:36or often don't know how to claim what's rightfully theirs.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44It's a sad fact of life that illness can strike at any time
0:08:44 > 0:08:46out of the blue.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48And when the word cancer is mentioned,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52the shock of the diagnosis itself can be devastating.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58And no one knows this more than Pauline from Dorset.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01In 2006, her life with husband Gary was turned upside down
0:09:01 > 0:09:05when, after a five-year battle with cancer,
0:09:05 > 0:09:07she was told it was terminal.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10You sit there and you think...
0:09:10 > 0:09:13My head was just going round. You think, "No, this can't be."
0:09:13 > 0:09:18It's such a shock. You just think, what have you done wrong?
0:09:18 > 0:09:19Why Pauline?
0:09:22 > 0:09:26So, Pauline started a series of drug treatments to help prolong her life.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29This meant she could work a few days a week,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32essential to keep enough coming in to cover the mortgage and bills,
0:09:32 > 0:09:37whilst Gary went part-time, so he could drive Pauline to hospital.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41I wanted to continue life as normal as I could, really,
0:09:41 > 0:09:45and, yeah, I wanted to sort of carry on working,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48as the treatment would allow me to work.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52Pauline continued to soldier on under some very difficult
0:09:52 > 0:09:56circumstances, but as the treatment became more and more demanding,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59she began to feel the strain.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07Mentally and physically, it can affect you,
0:10:07 > 0:10:09especially as time does go on.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13Sleepless nights and sickness and... That's what chemotherapy does.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17The more treatment I was having, the more tired I was getting.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Three years ago, Pauline was offered redundancy and decided it was
0:10:20 > 0:10:23best to take it, as by now she was getting too ill to work.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26But after losing their main pay packet,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29it wasn't long before they began to feel the pinch.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Were you comfortable with the idea of claiming benefits?
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Is it something that came naturally?
0:10:34 > 0:10:39I knew, you know, I'm due the money, my rights to it, so I didn't feel
0:10:39 > 0:10:42guilty, cos I know I've paid into the system all these years.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46How did you first go about finding out about that
0:10:46 > 0:10:48and working out how to get it?
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Well, my disability living allowance,
0:10:50 > 0:10:54I completed all the forms and had a letter to say,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57"We've awarded you the money."
0:10:57 > 0:11:00For around six months, everything was fine.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03The money really helped Pauline and Gary out with the bills.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05So it all went quiet.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09And you think, great, I can carry on with my life, treatment,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12working out where we go from here. Then what happened?
0:11:12 > 0:11:14It was January 2010,
0:11:14 > 0:11:18I had a letter to say I needed to fill in another questionnaire.
0:11:18 > 0:11:23It said this claimant was considered no longer terminally ill
0:11:23 > 0:11:27with a progressive illness because they've lived longer than six months.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31Two weeks later, I got another letter, inviting me
0:11:31 > 0:11:33to attend an interview with the Jobcentre GP.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35My condition would be assessed
0:11:35 > 0:11:38and sent forward to the benefit decisions officer,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41as to whether I could carry on receiving benefit.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44They basically told me, you know, if I don't fill the questionnaire in,
0:11:44 > 0:11:46if I don't go for the interview, they'll stop my benefit.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Now, Pauline had already sent the benefits people
0:11:49 > 0:11:51reports from her medical team that clearly stated
0:11:51 > 0:11:54she was terminally ill with cancer.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57So, quite understandably, she felt this Jobcentre GP visit
0:11:57 > 0:12:00was totally unnecessary.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05Both financially and emotionally, Pauline and Gary were on the brink,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08and the letter that they received could have been enough
0:12:08 > 0:12:12to push them over. After a decade of difficult challenges,
0:12:12 > 0:12:13if anyone was due a break,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15it was Pauline.
0:12:15 > 0:12:20It was around that time that Pauline was put into contact with a helpline
0:12:20 > 0:12:22and it was Gail Young who picked up the phone.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25She was obviously very upset at this stage,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28because she knew she was terminal, she knew she was dying.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31And she couldn't believe they'd actually contacted her.
0:12:31 > 0:12:36Pauline gave Gail all the details of her illness and of her claim.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39She'd actually been diagnosed as terminally ill,
0:12:39 > 0:12:41and had been awarded the disability living allowance
0:12:41 > 0:12:44under the terminal rules, which means it was awarded
0:12:44 > 0:12:48for three years. She was issued with a DS1500,
0:12:48 > 0:12:52which is a form that's issued by medical professionals to help people
0:12:52 > 0:12:56claim benefits under the fast-track system. It's a form that states
0:12:56 > 0:12:59that the person who the form has been issued to
0:12:59 > 0:13:03wouldn't reasonably be expected to live longer than six months.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing with the DWP,
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Gail finally had a breakthrough.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15They'd looked into it for me and she came back and said
0:13:15 > 0:13:18there was definitely a gap in the procedures for employment
0:13:18 > 0:13:21and support allowance that terminally ill patients
0:13:21 > 0:13:24were falling through, so the benefit, the employment
0:13:24 > 0:13:27and support allowance, would be brought in line with the disability
0:13:27 > 0:13:29living allowance, and that's what they did.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31I think it took probably a couple of weeks
0:13:31 > 0:13:33to actually get her DLA reinstated.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35It may have all been in a day's work for Gail,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38but for Pauline and Gary, the impact has been huge.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41I mean, Macmillan, I mean, I can't praise them enough.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45They were my saviour, they really were, and Gail particularly.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49Pauline contacting the helpline did highlight a problem with
0:13:49 > 0:13:52employment and support allowance policies and procedures, which,
0:13:52 > 0:13:57because I've got contacts within the Department for Work and Pensions,
0:13:57 > 0:14:02through working together, we identified there was a gap in rules.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06This was a positive start, but Gail knew she'd have to pull out all the
0:14:06 > 0:14:10stops if she was going to instigate a change of policy throughout
0:14:10 > 0:14:12the whole country. After a lot of hard work,
0:14:12 > 0:14:14she finally came up trumps.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18They have actually brought employment support allowance in line
0:14:18 > 0:14:21with disability living allowance. It was just a gap in their procedures,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23which thankfully has now been rectified.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25So, another battle for you,
0:14:25 > 0:14:30but actually the benefit was actually much greater than that.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34Within a couple of days it was put right throughout the country,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37and I did have a written apology from the Department for Work and
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Pensions, apologising for causing me and Gary distress.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42With their benefits back on track,
0:14:42 > 0:14:46Gary and Pauline can concentrate on what was most important -
0:14:46 > 0:14:49making sure they were on top of Pauline's treatment
0:14:49 > 0:14:51and enjoying their time together.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53But then, if they hadn't been through enough,
0:14:53 > 0:14:57along came something else to throw a spanner into the works.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02At the time our vehicle we had was really in disrepair
0:15:02 > 0:15:05and it was going to cost something like £4,000 to repair.
0:15:05 > 0:15:06A lot of money, and we didn't have that.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10A working car was essential to get Pauline to and from the hospital
0:15:10 > 0:15:13for her regular treatment. But now, because of her illness,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16she was eligible for a car under a government mobility scheme,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19so they filled out the forms and were accepted.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22But just two weeks before the car was due to arrive,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Pauline got a call saying there was a problem. As before,
0:15:25 > 0:15:29because Pauline had lived longer than the system expected her to,
0:15:29 > 0:15:31the computer said no.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34We sold our car, and I said, "How am I going to get to hospital?"
0:15:34 > 0:15:38And he said, "Well, you'll have to fill in the claim forms, and we'll
0:15:38 > 0:15:42"reassess you, and when you're reassessed, we can confirm
0:15:42 > 0:15:45"you've had the car." So, again at the end of my tether.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48I thought, "I can't believe this is happening!"
0:15:48 > 0:15:50This time, Pauline knew exactly who to call.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55I contacted Gail again about my car problem, and bless her,
0:15:55 > 0:15:57she couldn't believe it herself.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02I contacted disability living allowance on Pauline's behalf, erm,
0:16:02 > 0:16:04explained the position to them.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Their decision-maker was absolutely lovely. They were able to extend
0:16:08 > 0:16:11the benefit and she was able to get a car.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13Three days later,
0:16:13 > 0:16:17I had one of the adjudicators from disability living allowance
0:16:17 > 0:16:21call me and apologise again and said, "We've renewed your benefit, Pauline.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25"Don't fill the forms in and we'll renew it for another three years."
0:16:25 > 0:16:28So, thanks to Gail and the Macmillan team, Pauline and Gary now
0:16:28 > 0:16:32have the financial support they need to enjoy the precious time they have
0:16:32 > 0:16:35- left together.- Oh, what a Godsend!
0:16:35 > 0:16:38It's er... I can't sing their praises high enough, and she said,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41"I'm always here, Pauline, if you need me," you know.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43"Don't worry, I'm always here."
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Now it's back to our scroungers, where in Birmingham DC Smith
0:16:55 > 0:16:59and DS Hickl are hot on the heels of a charity that, according to
0:16:59 > 0:17:04a whistleblower, is not doing things that are terribly charitable at all.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09Astonbrooks were awarded funds from Birmingham City Council to provide
0:17:09 > 0:17:15a whole package of support for asylum seekers and other vulnerable people.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19The suspicion was that not all of the council's 14 million quid a year
0:17:19 > 0:17:22was being spent helping those in need.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Instead, some of it was being funnelled off into the pockets of
0:17:25 > 0:17:29the charity boss, Mohammed Arwo, and five of the company's directors.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34So, armed with warrants, the police raided their offices and homes,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37bagging anything suspicious as evidence.
0:17:39 > 0:17:45Computers, invoices, requisition forms, cheque stubs, anything
0:17:45 > 0:17:48that contained anything to do with Astonbrook Housing Association.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53But when the suspects were hauled in for questioning,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56they were well and truly schtum.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00At this stage, the police didn't have much proof that Mr Arwo
0:18:00 > 0:18:03or his other directors had done anything wrong.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Still, they would have bet their last penny that things
0:18:06 > 0:18:07weren't as they should be.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11However, without proof, a suspicion is worth nothing.
0:18:11 > 0:18:17As investigators all over the world say, a hunch won't buy you lunch.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24Already, this is a huge task
0:18:24 > 0:18:28for the police to review all those documents and gather evidence
0:18:28 > 0:18:31from the information that we've seized,
0:18:31 > 0:18:36and identify subsequent enquiries from those documents.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40It's the largest case I've ever worked on, and one of the biggest
0:18:40 > 0:18:44cases this department has faced, as far as I'm aware.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48But DC Andy Smith and the team weren't put off that easily.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51They kicked off by taking a closer look at what services the charity
0:18:51 > 0:18:55was paying for, and more importantly who they were paying it to.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59Very soon they unearthed something very interesting.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01As you can see on the laptop,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04we have an Astonbrook Housing Association requisition form.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08This document was made out to Walker Language Services
0:19:08 > 0:19:10for interpretation services.
0:19:10 > 0:19:15And this company allegedly worked from Saint Nicholas Street
0:19:15 > 0:19:16in Bristol.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19When officers went to that location, it didn't exist.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22Or, if it did exist, it was either a residential property
0:19:22 > 0:19:28or a commercial property that was not Walker Language Services.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30OK, that does sound a bit odd.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Maybe the company had just moved or went under?
0:19:33 > 0:19:36But when DC Smith traced the payment for this non-existent company,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39he found something that suggested otherwise.
0:19:41 > 0:19:46When you actually go to the cheque that relates to that requisition
0:19:46 > 0:19:50and invoice, you can see it's made out to M Arwo for the same amount,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53and that's going into the personal bank account of Mohammed Arwo.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57Mr Arwo - just remind us who he is again.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01The CEO of Astonbrook Housing Association.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Blimey. So, the boss had received a company cheque for an invoice
0:20:04 > 0:20:07linked to phoney services from a fake company.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09That doesn't sound very charitable.
0:20:09 > 0:20:14DC Smith now had the task of finding out if that was just a one-off.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19As soon as we've identified one cheque that is a fraudulent payment,
0:20:19 > 0:20:25we then have to recover every cheque that was in Mr Arwo's name.
0:20:25 > 0:20:31We have to recover every cheque for every employee within Astonbrook
0:20:31 > 0:20:32and every associated company.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36These companies were legitimate companies.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39They were all registered with Companies House.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43They all did offer legitimate services.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45And the services they were providing,
0:20:45 > 0:20:47like plumbers and decorators,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49didn't look like anything out of the ordinary.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52Just the sort of expenses a housing charity would have.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54But as they dug a little deeper,
0:20:54 > 0:20:57they discovered something that tells a slightly different story.
0:20:59 > 0:21:00From recovering the cheques,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03we were able to identify that other companies had been used.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Outward Property Services,
0:21:05 > 0:21:10Sahan Express, Gabal Language and Houseware.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14These were companies set up by either family members of the
0:21:14 > 0:21:21Arwos, or directors or employees of Astonbrook Housing Association.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23OK, let me get this straight.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Mr Arwo had set up legitimate companies,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29not only in his name, but that of his close family.
0:21:29 > 0:21:30How did that work exactly?
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Cheques were made to these companies.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37They were shown in the accounting system as being made to these
0:21:37 > 0:21:40companies. When you then went to the original cheque,
0:21:40 > 0:21:42you found that it was actually being made into the personal
0:21:42 > 0:21:45account of one of the directors.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51So it looked like they were cooking the old books to launder
0:21:51 > 0:21:53money out of the charity and into their own wallets.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56The police knew that if they were going to prove
0:21:56 > 0:21:59this beyond reasonable doubt, it would be no mean feat.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03They needed someone on the inside.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06As a result of the investigation,
0:22:06 > 0:22:11the charities regulator had actually appointed an interim manager.
0:22:11 > 0:22:16The interim had already started doing an accounting
0:22:16 > 0:22:18and an auditing process.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Now they'd traced the invoices and cheques,
0:22:21 > 0:22:25but in order to prove the money was definitely being stolen,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29and not just loaned or moved by mistake, what they really needed
0:22:29 > 0:22:33was to see where the money was going and how the money was being spent.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37We applied for protection orders for the bank accounts held by Astonbrook
0:22:37 > 0:22:38Housing Association,
0:22:38 > 0:22:42so we can get all their banking records as far back as we can
0:22:42 > 0:22:45and that shows us all the financial transactions going in
0:22:45 > 0:22:49and out of that account within that period.
0:22:49 > 0:22:54From the information that we already had, that led us to investigate
0:22:54 > 0:22:57companies that had already been set up by the individuals.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00And it certainly paid off.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04Not only did it link stolen charity funds to a Mohammed Arwo,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07they also discovered what they were spending the cash on.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11The money was being predominantly used to purchase
0:23:11 > 0:23:14property in the UK, mainly in the Midlands.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Some of the properties were purchased for themselves,
0:23:17 > 0:23:21and they may have resided in them for a period of time.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25Some of the properties were also used for rental purposes
0:23:25 > 0:23:26and rented back to the charity.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Not only were they stealing sums of money,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32they were then reinvesting it in property that they would rent
0:23:32 > 0:23:35back to the charity so they could make even more money.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39In order to ensure that we got a successful conviction at court,
0:23:39 > 0:23:41we had to recover every cheque,
0:23:41 > 0:23:45and because of the large volume of cheques, it wasn't an easy process.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47As a result of the investigation,
0:23:47 > 0:23:52we traced a significant amount of the money to a bank account in Dubai.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56So, as well as laundering money through crooked companies
0:23:56 > 0:24:00in the UK, Mr Arwo and co were also shipping it out to the Middle East.
0:24:01 > 0:24:06We can only go so far, tracing the money from the UK,
0:24:06 > 0:24:10until it lands in an account in Dubai, we can't go any further.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13But it wasn't all bad news.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Despite Mr Arwo and his group's best efforts to disguise their dodgy
0:24:17 > 0:24:21transactions in the UK, they were no match for the eagle-eyed officers.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25After scrutinising 18,000 cheques, countless bank accounts
0:24:25 > 0:24:27and over 50 dubious companies,
0:24:27 > 0:24:31DS Hickl now had them right where she wanted them.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36In November 2010, all the defendants were charged
0:24:36 > 0:24:38with conspiracy to defraud
0:24:38 > 0:24:40and money laundering at Birmingham Crown Court.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43With the evidence stacked up against them,
0:24:43 > 0:24:47surely Mr Arwo and his gang would just 'fess up. Wouldn't they?
0:24:47 > 0:24:49At the initial hearing, they all pleaded not guilty.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Disappointing news for DS Hickl and the team.
0:24:53 > 0:24:58Add to that, the lead investigator in the case, DC Mark Simmons,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00passed away unexpectedly.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03Mark was working on this case right from the beginning,
0:25:03 > 0:25:07so that would have been about June 2007.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11And he worked on it solidly for five years.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14It was a huge commitment and he worked extremely diligently and
0:25:14 > 0:25:18professionally in gathering all the evidence to convict these defendants.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22Now, DC Simmons knew the investigation inside out.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25So, understandably, it was a bitter blow to the team.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28But a short time later, there was a breakthrough.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32Even though we were expecting to go to trial in September 2012,
0:25:32 > 0:25:34at the end of July
0:25:34 > 0:25:37at another hearing, the defendants pleaded guilty.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44The weight of evidence gathered by the police was clearly too much
0:25:44 > 0:25:45for the gang to handle.
0:25:45 > 0:25:50For conspiracy to defraud Birmingham City Council out of £1.6 million,
0:25:50 > 0:25:54Mr Arwo was given four and a half years behind bars,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57whilst his five partners in crime were given between two years
0:25:57 > 0:25:59and 15 months.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02And as for the stolen money,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05the legal cogs are in motion to make the gang repay what they stole.
0:26:05 > 0:26:10Money's been taken away from the most vulnerable people in society,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13people who have come from difficulties in their homeland
0:26:13 > 0:26:18to the United Kingdom for assistance and it was taken directly from them,
0:26:18 > 0:26:24into accounts of what can only be described as greedy people.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29We're very satisfied at the sentences that these individuals received.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33I think it sends out a clear message that people who misappropriate
0:26:33 > 0:26:37and abuse public funds will be investigated and will be punished.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43So, Arwo and his fellow fraudsters were entrusted with money
0:26:43 > 0:26:45that was supposed to provide
0:26:45 > 0:26:48a shelter for some of society's most vulnerable people.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Luckily for them, the Government provides another
0:26:51 > 0:26:53kind of publicly funded shelter,
0:26:53 > 0:26:56and that's where they're spending time.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58I'm talking about prison.