PAIR SENT TO JAIL OVER DRIVING TEST CON

Two Peterborough men have been jailed over a driving test scam which netted them thousands of pounds.

A court heard how the men arranged for imposters to take tests on behalf of people who paid them as much as £ 1,800.

The scam’s mastermind Kanagan Rasalingam, from Tirrington, Bretton was jailed for 32 months.

Two Peterborough men have been jailed for a total of 46 months for orchestrating a driving test scam that netted them thousands of pounds. Kanagan Rasalingam ( 35), of Tirrington, Bretton, and Kuganathan Balasubramaniam ( 42), of Padholme Road, Peterborough, were among 10 defendants at Peterborough Crown Court for sentencing in relation to the fraud.

Rasalingam and Balasubramaniam had pleaded guilty to conspiracytocommitfraud after taking payment to arrangeforimposterstositdriving tests on behalf of others, seven of whomjoinedthemin the dock.

Rasalingam, a f ather of an 1 8- month girl, had also pleaded guilty to acquiri ng more than £ 46,000 in criminal property.

His partner Premini Kamalanathan ( 23), of Tirrington, Bretton, had also been accused of conspiracy to commit fraud after banks cards and a car in her name were linked to the operation.

However, the charge was order to lie onfile and she was only sentenced for acquiring criminal property - estimated at more than £ 56,000 - after the court was told Rasalingam had control over her bank accounts and car and used themwithouther knowledge.

The offences were committed between December 17, 2008 and March 26, 2010.

Judge Murphy said: “The offences with which I have to deal with today are very serious. It’s not simply a matter of money changing hands and

Judge Murphy

“You were a mastermind of a

fraud.”

it’s not simply a matter of deception being practised in order to gain personal benefits. The system of testing before awardingdrivinglicencesisin place for a reason.

He added: “The Government has to be satisfied those who have a driving licence are capable of driving in a safe manner on t he roads of this country.”

Andrew Copeland, representing Rasalingam, asked for credit for the defendant’s guilty pleas and admission he had used his partner’s bank accounts and car for the fraud without her knowledge.

He also disputed the financial benefit to Rasalingam, arguing some of the unexplained deposits in his account were from legitimate sources.

Sentencing Rasalingam to 32 months’ imprisonment, Judge Murphy said: “You were essentially a mastermind of a fraud which sought to undermine t he system of driving tests in a large number of cases and that has an impact on the public beyond any question of money.”

Nicola Devas, representing father- of- two Balasubramaniam, said the defendant was

Gudrun Young: “She wasnot aware of the nature of this criminal activity.”

“remorseful” and “clearly not the brains” of the operation, with unexplained deposits in his account amounting to about £ 7,300 - several thousand pounds of which, again, would be from l egitimate sources, she said.

Balasubramaniam received a 14 month prison term.

Gudrun Young, representing Premini Kamalana than, said the defendant only had suspicions of wrongdoing.

She said: “She was never aware of the nature of this criminal activity or what the fraud involved.”

She received a 18 month prison term, suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 150 hours unpaid work.