A former accountant of a national children’s charity has been jailed for 10 years for using his knowledge of the sector to steal £1.5m thorough fraudulent Gift Aid claims.
Kwabena Duodu (pictured) conspired with a crooked preacher and used details of other churches, including his own, as part of the criminal Gift Aid operation.
The 51-year-old from Loughton in Essex used his share of the stolen money to help but a £550,000 house. He also sent £320,000 to head paster of Praise Harvest Community Church, Moses Asare. He used the money to act as a loan shark to members of his own congregation, charging them 120% interest! He received a seven-year jail sentence.
A third man, John Quansah, head paster of Heaven Light Ministry International was found guilty of furnishing false information.
HMRC’s Eleanor Handslip said: “These men presented themselves as upstanding, honest, and charitable men of God. In reality they were just criminals cynically abusing their positions to steal.”
