EXPOSED: Corrupt HMRC Officer Lucy Craig Accused of Perverting Justice, Lying to Court in £600k Money Laundering Probe
Financial Fraudster News Exclusive Investigation
London, UK – A scandal is brewing within Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as a senior officer stands accused of perverting the course of public justice and fraud by abuse of position. Financial Fraudster News has seen compelling evidence suggesting that HMRC Officer Lucy Craig deliberately lied to Ipswich Magistrates’ Court, falsely asserting that a party in an ongoing Asset Freezing Order (AFO) hearing was married to a convicted fraudster and attempting to link them to criminality.
This shocking development comes amidst an 18-month investigation into funds totalling £600,827.92, which HMRC has frozen under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA), alleging a link to money laundering. Angelica Kinder, former partner and Person with Significant Control (PSC) at Nathan Paralegals and Company LLP (NPC), vehemently denies these assertions, maintaining the funds were lawfully obtained from a legitimate VAT return.
The Allegation: Fabricated Links to Criminality
Beyond the initial accusations of money laundering, the severity of Officer Craig's alleged misconduct has escalated dramatically. Financial Fraudster News has obtained information indicating that on 13 March 2024, in a witness statement submitted to the Court, Officer Craig explicitly stated that a party in the AFO matter was the wife of a convicted criminal. Furthermore, she allegedly attempted to link this criminal to a company with a similar name years before it was even incorporated – a company which, in reality, is owned by a US-based trust.
This alleged fabrication of evidence and deliberate misrepresentation to the Court represents a profound abuse of power and a direct assault on the integrity of the judicial process.
Hurtt Sparrow and Partners LLP Speaks Out
The gravity of Officer Craig's alleged actions has prompted a robust response from Hurtt Sparrow and Partners LLP (not its real name), a multi-million-pound private equity commercial company specialising in finance brokerage and consulting. A spokesperson for the firm stated:
“...the evidence is overwhelming that an HMRC Officer is trying to link our client to criminality to taint commercial funds borrowed from us to grow her business…we carried out extensive due diligence prior to agreeing to lend funds…our client told us that Starling Bank had restricted access to funds we had loaned…we took precautions to protect our position knowing this was an abuse of the Proceeds of Crime Act regarding AFO application processes…we have seen the evidence as interested party and when we saw evidence submitted by a corrupt HMRC Officer we had little choice but to act and pursue a private criminal prosecution.”
This statement underscores the serious implications for legitimate businesses and highlights the firm's determination to challenge what they perceive as a grave injustice.
Expert Commentary: A Former HMRC Officer Weighs In
A. Smith, Financial Fraudster News's investigations and crime reporter and a former HMRC Officer, provided crucial context on the severity of these allegations:
“...AFOs are a powerful tool against proceeds of crime and kleptocrats who attempt to use the banking system to hide and launder proceeds of crime… the revision of the POCA 2002 force Banks to nod to HMRC customer money held in accounts that they believe were or could be used for criminal conduct or might be the proceeds of crime…but this can be misused and caught in misinterpretations by banking staff...I cannot comment on this particular case, but if HMRC employees are caught fabricating evidence or submitting false statements verified by statement of truth to bolster cases in exercising their duties…this will invariably come to light...it appears that on 13 March 2024 in a witness statement by a HMRC Officer that stated that a party in an AFO ongoing matter before the Courts was the wife of a convicted criminal and and that the criminal was linked to a company to a similar name years before it was incorporated, the company is owned by a US based trust…if found to be false, the HMRC officer could be personally liable and find themselves in a US Court having been extradited by the very nature of their conduct, it doesn’t get anymore serious than that...in truth the best policy for HMRC Officers is the truth…HMRC Officers cannot be accused of acting ‘unjustly’ or behaving like ‘bandits’...”
Smith's commentary highlights the immense power of AFOs and the critical importance of integrity from HMRC officers. The potential for personal liability and even extradition to a US Court underscores the extreme seriousness of fabricating evidence in such proceedings.
The Unanswered Questions
Angelica Kinder has already detailed in her witness statement that the £600,827.92 frozen funds were part of a £993,749.00 VAT refund legitimately obtained by NPC, which had undergone a rigorous compliance check by HMRC Officer Veronica Benjamin in October 2021 and was subsequently signed off by a senior HMRC officer. The funds were transferred to a legitimate Barclays Bank business account and used for litigation funding or investment, as per a board resolution. Officer Craig's alleged failure to disclose these crucial facts to the court during the AFO application process is a separate, yet equally grave, accusation of wilfully misleading the judiciary.
Financial Fraudster News has asked HMRC to comment on these serious allegations. The integrity of HMRC's operations and the fairness of justice demand a transparent and thorough investigation into Officer Lucy Craig's conduct.
Related Article:
EXPOSED: HMRC Officer Accused of Wilful Non-Disclosure in £600k Money Laundering Probe
