A woman whose gambling husband stole nearly £1.5 million from his employers says she knew nothing about the "eye-watering" sums of money going through her bank accounts, a court heard. , denies any knowledge that her husband, , had stolen the cash from National Lottery operators Camelot and online estate agent Yopa Property while working for both companies. The 36-year-old fraudster - who earned an average salary of £45,000 a year - used fake invoices to transfer hundreds of thousands of pounds to two bank accounts belonging to his wife, Leicester Live reports. He pleaded guilty to the scam last year and now awaits sentencing. However Sarwar, who is on trial for three counts of money laundering on various dates between 2011 and 2018, denies the charges. Leicester Crown Court was told how, of the stolen funds, about £1.25 million was transferred directly to her accounts. Prosecuting, Andrew Peet told the jury that amount, stolen over five to six years, would have taken "a generation" for Cassim to earn legitimately. " was employed over a number of years by two high profile employers, Camelot, which runs the national lottery and Yopa online estate agents," Andrew Peet, prosecuting, said. "He took just short of £1.5 million from them. "His annual salary was an average of £45,000 and it would have taken him about 30 years to earn the money stolen on top of his legitimate income. "This amount was obtained during about a five or six year time period. "The Crown don't say this defendant, Sarwar, was a party to any of the fraud or stealing. "We say she was necessary for Cassim's scheme because about £1.25 million was transferred directly from the employers of her husband - the fraudster - to her bank accounts. "He had many accounts in his own name and they weren't used. "The Crown says she's a money launderer." The prosecutor alleged Sarwar allowed both accounts in her name to be used to "dissipate" stolen money. "It would have taken Cassim a generation to have earned the money, it was colossal; eye-watering amounts," he continued. The court was told that of the £960,000 stolen from Camelot, £748,000 was transferred directly into accounts held solely in Sarwar's name. About £10,000 was transferred in respect of "wages" she allegedly earned as an employee of Camelot. "She never worked for them," said Mr Peet. The colossal fraud was discovered in Yopa's accounts, leading his former employer, Camelot, to also investigate. It was alleged that the entirety of £505,000 taken from Yopa was transferred into Sarwar's personal accounts. "These were bank accounts in her name, not his," Mr Peet continued. "Half a million quid (relating to Yopa) in less than two years. "It's more than eyebrow-raising." The prosecutor told the jury that once the money had been transferred to Sarwar's account, it "didn't stay there very long", suggesting that she might have wondered what was going on." Sarwar was questioned over her involvement in the scam
A woman whose gambling husband stole nearly £1.5 million from his employers says she knew nothing about the "eye-watering" sums of money going through her bank accounts, a court heard. , denies any knowledge that her husband, , had stolen the cash from National Lottery operators Camelot and online estate agent Yopa Property while working for both companies. The 36-year-old fraudster - who earned an average salary of £45,000 a year - used fake invoices to transfer hundreds of thousands of pounds to two bank accounts belonging to his wife, Leicester Live reports. He pleaded guilty to the scam last year and now awaits sentencing. However Sarwar, who is on trial for three counts of money laundering on various dates between 2011 and 2018, denies the charges. Leicester Crown Court was told how, of the stolen funds, about £1.25 million was transferred directly to her accounts. Prosecuting, Andrew Peet told the jury that amount, stolen over five to six years, would have taken "a generation" for Cassim to earn legitimately. " was employed over a number of years by two high profile employers, Camelot, which runs the national lottery and Yopa online estate agents," Andrew Peet, prosecuting, said. "He took just short of £1.5 million from them. "His annual salary was an average of £45,000 and it would have taken him about 30 years to earn the money stolen on top of his legitimate income. "This amount was obtained during about a five or six year time period. "The Crown don't say this defendant, Sarwar, was a party to any of the fraud or stealing. "We say she was necessary for Cassim's scheme because about £1.25 million was transferred directly from the employers of her husband - the fraudster - to her bank accounts. "He had many accounts in his own name and they weren't used. "The Crown says she's a money launderer." The prosecutor alleged Sarwar allowed both accounts in her name to be used to "dissipate" stolen money. "It would have taken Cassim a generation to have earned the money, it was colossal; eye-watering amounts," he continued. The court was told that of the £960,000 stolen from Camelot, £748,000 was transferred directly into accounts held solely in Sarwar's name. About £10,000 was transferred in respect of "wages" she allegedly earned as an employee of Camelot. "She never worked for them," said Mr Peet. The colossal fraud was discovered in Yopa's accounts, leading his former employer, Camelot, to also investigate. It was alleged that the entirety of £505,000 taken from Yopa was transferred into Sarwar's personal accounts. "These were bank accounts in her name, not his," Mr Peet continued. "Half a million quid (relating to Yopa) in less than two years. "It's more than eyebrow-raising." The prosecutor told the jury that once the money had been transferred to Sarwar's account, it "didn't stay there very long", suggesting that she might have wondered what was going on." Sarwar was questioned over her involvement in the scam
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