David Walbank KC Secures Retrial in £7 Million Furlough Fraud Prosecution

The jury has been discharged following an 11-week trial in the Birmingham Crown Court relating to an alleged Covid-19 furlough fraud.

David Walbank KC acted for a businessman charged with cheating the public revenue. Under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, employees who could not work because of the pandemic would continue to be paid 80% of their wages up to a maximum of £2,500 per month, with the government reimbursing employers. The defendant was alleged to have made more than 4,000 furlough claims in the space of seven weeks in early 2020 in the names of workers who were not eligible to receive monies under the scheme.

The prosecution alleged that the defendant had thereby obtained nearly £7 million from HM Revenue and Customs. However, the jury were unable to reach a verdict. For a news report regarding the outcome of the trial, see here: [Press Report]