The most brazen of Grenfell fraudsters
He told trial he was secret agent after claiming £47k
A FRAUDSTER who claimed almost £50,000 meant for Grenfell survivors told police he was an undercover government researcher carrying out ‘top secret’ work.
Moses Ettienne spent nine months living at the Park Plaza Hotel – where rooms cost more than £100 a night – after Grenfell Tower burned down in June 2017, killing 72 people.
Ettienne told police he was a Grenfell resident, but they soon realised that the flat number he had given them didn’t exist.
And the conman, 49, told trial jurors this week he couldn’t reveal his true address because he was ‘bound by secrecy’.
The Daily Mail understands Ettienne is the 15th fraudster convicted for offences relating to the Grenfell Tower disaster.
More than £700,000 has been fraudulently claimed by imposters and conmen who said they were living in the tower block at the time of the tragedy.
Ettienne had told Isleworth Crown Court he had diplomatic immunity because he was attached to the US Mission in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Walter Mitty character said he had to stay silent as he was not sure if his collection of ‘secret’ files had Kensington, been destroyed west London. in the fire in
He said: ‘Some of the files I stored were in the flat. Because I can’t confirm whether they have been destroyed or not, I am not able to disclose the flat, the location of that flat, the people I lived with, or told anything the about jury that.’ his work Ettienne involved liaising with foreign governments on renewable energy. In reality he held no diplomatic status in the UK, and two businesses he previously registered with Companies House were closed due to a lack of trading. Ettienne was convicted of one count of fraud and jailed for five years, having claimed sustenance and accommodation worth a total of £47,415.75.
The trial heard he ran a secondhand clothes stall and lived in Southall, west London. He had once lived in Grenfell Tower, but moved out several years earlier.
His case follows that of a former Kensington and Chelsea Council finance minister who took money meant for survivors using pre-paid credit cards despite having no personal links to the fire.
Jenny McDonagh, 39, was jailed for five-and-a-half years after stealing more than £60,000 to fund trips to Dubai and Los Angeles.
Another fraudster, Anh Nhu Nguyen, 53, claimed to have lost his wife and son in the blaze and even gave an elaborate account of his ‘escape’ to Sky News.
The conman was even comforted by Prince Charles during a meeting of victims.
Nguyen was jailed for 21 months after admitting fraud in 2018. He had 28 previous convictions for offences spanning more than 30 years – including theft, dishonesty, arson and grievous bodily harm.