Jail for man who made false benefit claims from Syria Defendant claimed he had been kidnapped
AMAN from Birmingham who continued to claim thousands of pounds in benefits after returning to his war-ravaged home town in Syria has been jailed for seven months.
Bashir Souliman claimed £10,801 over a period of eight months after returning to Homs where he alleged he was kidnapped by rebels.
The National Benefit Fraud Hotline was alerted to his false claims and on his return to Birmingham he was interviewed by investigators from the Department for Work and Pensions and charged with benefits fraud offences.
Souliman appeared at Birmingham Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to three charges of swindling benefits.
He pleaded guilty to failure to noti- fy the Department for Work and Pensions of a change in circumstances in his Employment Support Allowance to the value of £3,417.
The charges relate to February 14 to October 8, 2014.
He also pleaded guilty to fraudulently claining housing benefits between February 17 and October 12, 2014 to the value of £3,922.
He further pleaded guilty to fraudulently claiming child tax credits between March 14 and October 8 to the value of £3,461.
Mr David Devine, prosecuting on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions, said Souliman had been living in Capstone Avenue, Hockley, until January 2014 when he flew to Syria. He said: “Mr Souliman says he planned to go out to Syria for four weeks but was kidnapped on January 30, 2014 and held captive until October 5.
“He then flew back to the UK on October 8.
“In the meantime, the National Benefit Fraud Hotline had received a tip off with regards to Mr Souliman.
“He was investigated and interviewed and benefits fraud charges were brought against him.”
Geraldine Toal, defending, said Souliman, who now lives in Durham, had lived a tough existence and had been made homeless in Syria after his home was bombed in Homs.
His wife and two children were living in a refugee camp in the war-torn country.
She said: “He returned to Syria to see his wife and two children.
“His children had come over to the UK but couldn’t live without their mother so returned to the country. There are many issues in Syria and opposing factions and threats have been made to his family.
“He only planned to stay in Syria for four weeks but while he was there he said he was held captive and money was exchanged for his release.
“He had been living in the UK for 16 years and had periods of work.
“He had been sending money back to his family in Syria. At this moment in time he isn’t claiming benefits but works in a pizza shop.”
Mrs Christine Speake, chairman of the magistrates, said: “This was a deliberate defrauding of the public purse for the sum of over £10,000.
“We take fraud of this kind very seriously. We see no alternative but to jail you for a period of 28 weeks.”
Souliman is to be supervised in the community for a further 12 months following his release.