Trio cleared of fraud over SMEs training
AN AUGHTON man and two other people accused of fraudulently pocketing hundreds of thousands of pounds of government money have been cleared.
Steve Konetske had been on trial at Liverpool Crown Court along with business partner Graham Stewart and Jodie Foster denying the allegations they faced.
But on Monday prosecuting counsel David Potter offered no further evidence and all three were found not guilty on the judge’s directions and were discharged from the dock.
Afterwards Mr Konetske, 46, of Holt Coppice, Aughton, said that he had the allegations hanging over him for four years and now it had been shown that they were unfounded.
The jury had heard that the allegations involved Skillswork Fund money earmarked to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) on Merseyside grow and prosper by paying for training.
The fund – which ran from 2007 to January 2011 – was also described as “ripe for fraud” and Mr Potter claimed that the defendants had targeted the local hair and beauty industry and ridden roughshod over strict rules designed to prevent fraud.
Ms Foster was sole proprietor of Time Training when the alleged offending began in March 2008 and was “firmly connected” with Mr Stewart, her then partner, and Mr Konetske, a close friend and business partner of Stewart.
Mr Konetske denied one fraudulent trading offence; 39-year-old Foster, of Lindens, Loughton, Essex, denied two fraudulent business offences and Mr Stewart, 43, of Deauville Road, Aintree, pleaded not guilty to fraudulent trading and aiding and abetting Ms Foster.
Time Training became Time Training Ltd in May 2008 and all three defendants “as directors, engaged in fraudulent trading,” Mr Potter had claimed.
“As a result of their fraudulent activity a huge amount of public money was paid over to Time Training, in both its guises, for training that was either non-existent, grossly overpriced or fraudulently obtained,” he alleged at the beginning of the trial.
However after a string of prosecution witnesses had been called to give evidence and before the prosecution case finished, the Crown decided to offer no further evidence.