Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Asylum seeker who falsely claimed £25,000 benefits is ordered to repay just £1



Massoud Montazery, 29, claimed money from the state even though he had £500,000 in a separate bank account.


Yesterday, a Proceeds of Crime application took place at Liverpool Crown Court for him to pay back his ill-gotten gains.
But as Montazery had no recoverable assets, the confiscation order of £24,973.67 could not proceed.


Instead, he was told the pay back a nominal fee of just £1.
Montazery, from St Mary's Road, Walton, was given thousands of pounds which paid for his Liverpool home, gas, electricity, water and council tax.
He was caught in November 2005 after investigators saw a BMW and an X-type Jaguar outside his house.


His comfortable lifestyle was exposed which revealed designer clothes, a fur coat for his wife and a new carpet.
He made repeated denials to immigration officials about having a bank account but his considerable finances and job at a baby equipment firm in Liverpool was soon revealed.


He admitted two counts of making false statements to obtain benefits at court and received a suspended nine-month jail term, 100 hours' unpaid work and a two-year supervision order.
And the question of Montazery's likely deportation back to Iran appears to have moved a step closer.


It is thought he has exhausted all avenues of appeal and the process to press for deportation continues.
A date has yet to be fixed but Montazery could be ordered to leave within two months.
He had claimed that he was being pursued by the Iranian authorities.

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