British couple ‘stole £1.3m from Bermuda’
A BRITISH accountant and his teacher wife stole £1.3 million from the Bermuda government to buy luxury cars and properties back home, a court has heard.
Jeffrey Bevan, 50, moved to Bermuda along with Samantha, 52, his former headmistress wife, to take up an £80,000-a-year job as payments manager in the office of the accountant general of Bermuda. He is accused of making more than 50 bogus payments to himself before illegally transferring the money back to Britain.
He then quit his job after less than three years to move back to Wales – having bought luxury Mercedes cars and property around Britain.
Prosecutor Tim Evans said: “Mr Bevan was dishonestly involved in the fraudulent transfer of nearly two and half million dollars of money belonging to the Bermudan people.”
The court heard the Bevans and their two children moved to Bermuda for the dream job in January 2011 – with Mrs Bevan starting as a teacher in a Bermuda school.
Mr Bevan quit in May 2013 to return to Britain, blaming his mother’s poor health and children’s schooling as the reasons for his resignation.
Cardiff Crown Court heard an investigation showed 52 bogus payments made into the Bevans’ accounts in Bermuda before being transferred to Britain.
Father-of-two Mr Bevan claimed the payments to him were for overtime.
The couple’s friend Joel Ismail, 42, and financial adviser Paul Charity, 52, are also accused of taking part in the fraud.
Mr and Mrs Bevan, of Cwmbran, near Newport, South Wales, collectively deny 13 counts of converting criminal property and three counts of transferring criminal property.
Mr Ismail and Mr Charity, both of Leicester, deny converting criminal property. Mr Charity also denies perverting the course of justice.
All four were granted bail.