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ROTHERHITHE
MORE JAILED FOR COUNCIL HOUSE FRAUD
Southwark News, Thursday September 29, 2016
By Alex Yeates
alex@southwarknews.co.uk
THREE MORE people have been sentenced for links to a corrupt Southwark Council officer, who helped fraudsters find council homes on fake homelessness claims.
Have you seen Rachel or Syed? 2016 at around 9pm. Rachel is described as white, around 5ft 4ins tall with a skinny build, shoulder length blonde hair. She was last seen wearing a black Nike top, black leggings, gold trainers and was carrying a cream coloured bag. Syed is described as Asian, around 5ft 9ins with a stocky build (weighing approximately 18 stone) with collar length dark hair. He was last seen wearing green trousers, grey t-shirt and black/navy jacket. Areas that the pair could possibly be frequenting are Crystal Palace, Streatham and Wandsworth. Anyone who sees either Rachel or Syed, or anyone who knows of their whereabouts, is urged to contact police in Southwark on 101.
By Alex Yeates
alex@southwarknews.co.uk
POLICE ARE appealing for help to locate a missing Rotherhithe woman and Streatham man as they are "concerned for both of their safety and wellbeing".
Rachel Chagger, 30, from Rotherhithe was last seen at 11:35pm on Thursday night September 22 when she stated that she was going to Canary Wharf to see her friends. However, she never returned home and hasn't been seen or heard from since. It is believed that she is with Syed Hossain, 37, from Streatham who was last seen at his home on September 20
BERMONDSEY: The developers who want to regenerate the old Hygrade Meat Factory, Acorn Wharf and Surrey Wharf are consulting on their plans this Saturday.
BERMONDSEY Photo: Met Police
Old Kent Road consultation
Berkeley Homes is looking to submit a planning application for the Malt Street site by the end of 2016, with initial proposals suggesting a dramatic change to layout of the 5.3 acre area. The first consultation in April proposed a new route linking the Old Kent Road to Burgess Park along the historic Grand Surrey Canal, as well as better access across the site from north to south. The scheme is part of the Old Kent Road Opportunity Area, which was outlined by former Mayor Boris Johnson andthe council as a brownfield site with capacity for development. The consultation on Saturday from 9:30am to 12:30pm, at the Unwin and Friary Estate Tenants’ and Residents’ Hall in Frensham Street SE15 6TH.
By Owen Sheppard
owen@southwarknews.co.uk
A FORMER Bermondsey teaching assistant who stamped on his heavily pregnant ex-girlfriend stomach and killed their unborn baby has lost his appeal against a life sentence.
Kevin Wilson, 23, from the Longfield Estate, was sentenced to a minimum of sixteen years at the Old Bailey in February for child destruction and causing grievous bodily harm to Malorie Bantala. Before his conviction in December the court heard how Wilson took matters into
As part of Southwark’s Operation Bronze, one of council’s largest fraud investigations, the trio were prosecuted at Woolwich Crown Court for their links to Trudy Ali-Balogun (pictured) – a homeless-caseworker who handled 24 bogus cases between 2003 and 2005. Theresa Okondunjokanma, Florence Allen and Raphael Djeugam all received council homes obtained using fraudulent documentation processed by Ali-Balogun, and were found guilty of “obtaining services by deception” under the Theft Act 1978. The latest prosecutions follow five in April including Ali-Balogun, as Biayo Awotiwon of Devon Mansions in Tooley Street, Adeyemi Olalekan Oyedele of Webb Street in Bermondsey, Kudiartu Falana of Inville Road in Walworth, and Joseph Akin Olaiya of Gillingham, Kent were all found guilty in April. Okondunjokanma was sentenced to eighteen months’ imprisonment, as a first for the council, as she was also sentenced for illegally subletting a secured tenancy (Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013). The new law was introduced by the government to give local authorities greater powers to tackle housing fraud. The court heard that as part of Okondunjokanma’s homeless application, she had provided three false child birth certificates, false bank statements, a false child benefit letter and a false indefinite leave to remain vignette in her Nigerian
passport. As a result, Okondunjokanma was offered a property in Peckham, which was then illegally sublet to her sister and her family. She was then moved to another Southwark tenancy in Camberwell. The property has since been returned to the council. Florence Allen and Raphael Djeugam were ordered to service fifteen months and two years respectively in prison for their crimes. Allen was offered a tenancy in Bermondsey after producing a false child birth certificate, false bank statements, false Nigerian passports with indefinite leave to remain vignettes, false national insurance numbers and false utility bills, to support her homeless application. The property will now be recovered by the council. Djeugam was offered and accepted a
Man who stamped on heavily pregnant ex-girlfriend has appeal on life sentence denied his own hands after Miss Bantala refused to have an abortion. Wilson carried out the brutal attack with a seventeen-year-old accomplice who had learning difficulties. Together they ambushed Miss Bantala wearing motorbike helmets as she left the Peckham Marks and Spencer, where she had been planning a baby shower. The attack resulted in their healthy 32week-old boy being stillborn, and Miss Bantala needing life-saving surgery. At the Court of Appeal on Tuesday, three judges said the life sentence was justified, but reduced the length of the minimum term to fourteen years less time on remand. Mr Justice Spencer said it was an “unspeakably wicked act” “Here was a young man who was
prepared to take the steps he did in a calculated and cold-blooded way to achieve his objective, because there was an obstacle in his way,” Judge Spencer said. Judge Mark Lucraft called it “a cowardly, vile, callous attack”. The court heard how Miss Bantala curled up on the ground, desperately trying to protect her unborn child with one hand as Wilson and his accomplice stamped on her. Miss Bantala lost six pints of blood and broke two fingers, and immediately told police her child's father was responsible, saying: “He doesn't want the baby.” She described her innocent son, Joel, as the “real victim” and said “the moment Joel died inside me I lost everything. Life as I knew it no longer made sense”.
tenancy in Peckham using fraudulent documentation. The property will also be recovered by the council. Councillor Fiona Colley, Cabinet Member for Finance, Strategy and Performance, said: “Housing fraud costs tax payers millions of pounds and deprives those in real need of a council property. Operation Bronze was set up to combat this and ensure that anyone found profiting from council resources was brought to justice. “Today I am pleased to say that we have accomplished much of what we set out to do. The operation has resulted in 38 convictions and has recovered 42 properties which can be reallocated to genuine applicants. “Crucially, we’ve now developed a culture of accountability and greater scrutiny of council resources with improved measures for preventing and identifying fraud.”
Police appeal teenager stabbed
CAMBERWELL: A teenage boy was found stabbed this week, leading police to cordon off six shops in Crossthwaite Avenue.
The Met confirmed they were called to the scene by London Ambulance Service at 8:05pm on Monday September 26. A spokesperson for the force told the News: “Officers and London Air Ambulance attended and found a sixteen-year-old boy suffering from stab injuries. “He was taken to a central London hospital where he remains in a stable condition.” No arrests had been made at the time this newspaper went to press. Police are asking anyone with information concerning this incident to call police on 101 or anonymously on the Crimestoppers number 0800 555 111.