Aftab Baig exploited the pandemic to claim small business grants on behalf of Greggs, resulting in his conviction for fraud.
A man, Aftab Baig, aged 47, has been found guilty of defrauding Leeds City Council out of £710,000 under the guise of being a property manager for the bakery chain Greggs. The fraudulent activity occurred in May 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, when Baig made claims for small business grants against 32 Greggs branches, despite having no affiliation with the company.
The trial, which took place at Leeds Crown Court, revealed that Baig contacted the council pretending to be a group property manager from Greggs’ head office. He requested business rates numbers for the firm’s Leeds locations, claiming he could not access this information due to restrictions imposed by the pandemic. He aimed to utilise these details to submit applications to the Small Business Grant Fund, which was established to provide financial aid to small businesses affected by the Covid lockdown. The funds were subsequently directed to an account associated with Baig’s catering business.
As the council began to investigate and realised the legitimacy of the claims was questionable, they froze the account receiving the fraudulent payments. Baig was arrested two months later in Glasgow by officers from Police Scotland. Investigators discovered approximately £16,000 in cash at his residence, alongside forged remittance slips that Baig allegedly intended to use as part of a scheme to compel the bank to return the frozen funds.
Following the court proceedings, Baig was convicted on three counts of fraud and is set to be sentenced on 31 March. The Crown Prosecution Service, represented by Kelly Ward, pointed out that Baig exploited the challenging circumstances of the pandemic to carry out his deceitful scheme. Ward stated, “Those who cheat the public purse are stealing funds which should rightly go towards services and the community, or in this case towards supporting small businesses through an extremely challenging time.” The CPS also indicated that they would initiate steps to recover any assets stemming from Baig’s criminal actions.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.wired-gov.net/wg/news.nsf/articles/Man+convicted+of+defrauding+Leeds+City+Council+out+of+small+businesses+grants+during+Covid+13022025091000?open – This URL corroborates the conviction of Aftab Baig for defrauding Leeds City Council by exploiting small business grants during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/yorkshire/news/2134836-man-convicted-of-defrauding-council-out-of-small-businesses-grants-during-covid – This article supports the claim that Aftab Baig made fraudulent grant claims against 32 Greggs branches, leading to his conviction.
- https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/crime/greggs-fraudster-leeds-city-council-con-b2698447.html – This URL confirms that Baig posed as a Greggs worker to defraud the council and that he was found guilty of three counts of fraud at Leeds Crown Court.
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-business-support-grant-funding – This URL provides information on business support grants during the Covid-19 pandemic, which is relevant to the context of Baig’s fraudulent activities.
- https://www.police.scotland.uk/about-us/our-structure/our-divisions/ – This URL supports the involvement of Police Scotland in the arrest of Aftab Baig in Glasgow.
- https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news – This URL is related to the Crown Prosecution Service, which was involved in the prosecution of Aftab Baig and is mentioned in the article.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative mentions a specific trial and sentencing date, indicating recent events. However, the fraudulent activity occurred in May 2020, which is not recent.
Quotes check
Score:
8
Notes:
The quote from Kelly Ward, representing the Crown Prosecution Service, could not be verified as the earliest known reference online. However, it aligns with typical legal statements.
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from the BBC, a well-known and reputable publication.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
The claims are plausible given the context of the pandemic and the nature of the fraud. The details provided are consistent with how such scams might occur.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is likely accurate due to its origin from a reliable source and the plausible nature of the claims. However, the freshness score is slightly reduced due to the historical context of the fraud.
