Former senior housing officer given suspended sentence over fraud

Kanyin Jolaosho, formerly of Carroll Drive, Bedford, also received 200 hours unpaid work and 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days. He was ordered to pay costs of £3,850 at the sentencing hearing at Luton Crown Court.

The case had been referred to Central Bedfordshire Council’s Fraud Team after staff concerns were raised about Jolaosho’s activities whilst undertaking his job as a Senior Housing Officer.

The local authority said investigators discovered that Jolaosho had manipulated council systems and processes to undertake the frauds, “which included diverting tenants’ rent payments that were due to be paid to the council, diverting tenants’ deposits and a fake landlord incentive payment”.

The losses from the fraud totalled £39,812.85.

Central Bedfordshire said it would be pursuing recovery action to reclaim the stolen funds.

The council said that following the investigation it had conducted “a rigorous review of processes put in place to prevent fraud”.

Cllr John Baker, Executive Member for Finance, said: “The council takes any fraud extremely seriously. These offences represented a serious abuse of position and a breach of the trust placed in council staff. Importantly, swift action was taken to ensure no tenant or landlord was out of pocket and funds were repaid.”