A shamed leader of Manchesters Asian community branded a "blood-sucker" over a passport scam has landed in trouble again. Abdullah Azad admitted illegally acting as an immigration advisor but this time he escaped jail. After hearing about the poor health and family bereavements, a judge at Manchester Crown Court handed Azad, from Moss Side in Manchester, a suspended prison sentence. Azad 74,was named as a conman in parliament by Manchester MP Gerald Kaufman in 2002. The MP called for police to investigate the "fraudulent" activities of Azads Welfare Centre in Raby Street, Moss Side. At the time Azad said: "I have nothing to hide."
Mr Kaufman said during a debate on asylum seekers: "I draw attention to the crooked and larcenous activities of Abdullah Azads self-styled welfare centre with cons suckers out of huge sums. I call on the police to investigate the fraudulent activities of this leech, this bloodsucker." Police investigated Azad and he ended up in court where a jury found him guilty of operating an illegal passport scam and despite his age and heart problems he was jailed for three-and-a half years. He denied conspiracy to obtaining passports and possessing passports. After that hearing, Mr Kaufman said: I have been after him for years and I am delighted that justice has at last caught up with him. He is the most intolerable man. He claimed to be able to help people with immigration difficulties, but infact he leeched money of those who did not have it.
Azad was at Manchester Crown Court again on Friday. He pleaded guilty to three counts of acting as an immigration advisor while not qualified to do so between December, 2004 and August 2005. The court heard details of one incident where Azad was employed by a Pakistan National who had seperated from his wife in Britain but wanted to stay in the country. The man payed Azad £305 to take up his case with the Home Office, the court heard. After the hearing nothing, the man visited the Raby Street offices, discovered his case had failed and paid a further £500 to appeal. The appeal also failed and the man is awaiting deportation, according to Peter Ratliff, prosecuting. The court was told there was no evidence the mans case had been adversely affected. although he was out of pocket.
Bunty Batra, defending, told the court his client had suffered three heart attacks as well as deaths of his wife and brother. "Hes old and very ill," said Mr Batra. Azad had helped under-privileged, especially in the Muslim community, and had not profited, said Mr Batra. Judge Andrew Gilbart, sentancing Azad to a six-month suspended prison sentence, a 12-month supervision order and ordering him to pay £3,500 costs, told the defendant: "I accept you have done a great deal of good work as a notable person in the community." He added: "Those who advise must be properly authorised. You knew that you had been warned off by the authorities and you took part in these matters. The judge said he took account of the defendents age, ill health and the fact that no-ones immigration status was jeoparised by the case in suspending the sentence for two years.
MANCHESTER BPP SAYS;
The only case required here is the SUITCASE type !!!
FOURTEEN WORDS.
