ASSETS RECOVERED FROM ABATTOIR OPERATOR

On 16th October 2008, a former abattoir manager, Ibrahim Moosa Yusuf, had a confiscation order in the sum of £317,135 made against him following a hearing at Leeds Crown Court before His Honour Judge McGill. Ibrahim Yusuf was given 6 months to pay the order. In addition to this HHJ McGill also imposed a default term of imprisonment of 3 years and 3 months should the order not be satisfied within the given time limit. The service of a default sentence does not negate the debt and this would remain payable.

The initial investigation began in October 2004 when Yakub Moosa Yusuf was sentenced to six months imprisonment having pleaded guilty to 23 offences under food hygiene legislation. This was in relation to his operation of abattoirs in West Yorkshire. In addition to his custodial sentence, he was issued with a Prohibition Order that prevented him from being involved in the management of a food business for seven years.

Following his release from prison, Yakub Yusuf and his brother Ibrahim Yusuf once again became concerned in the management of the abattoir in Ossett using another individual, Imran Darwan, to act as the named Food Business Operator. Ibrahim Yusuf and his co-defendants were successfully prosecuted by the Foods Standard Agency (FSA) in November 2006 relating to the breach of a Prohibition Order from managing a food business. All three pleaded guilty and Yakub Yusuf was sentenced to nine months imprisonment (suspended for two years) and was ordered to complete 180 hours community service. Ibrahim Yusuf and Imran Darwan were also given community service orders.

The FSA engaged the services of the North East Regional Asset Recovery Team (RART) to determine the defendants benefit from crime and to commence a confiscation investigation.

In his summing up at the Confiscation hearing, HH Judge McGill said that Ibrahim had not been a truthful witness and it was found that Ibrahim had failed to declare a house that he had owned and a bank account from which £211,000 had been taken.

HH Judge McGill found against Ibrahim and made a confiscation order in the sum of £317,315 with a default sentence of three years three months imprisonment if he failed to satisfy the confiscation order within six months. HH Judge McGill accepted Yakub Yusuf’s claim that he was an employee of the company operated by Ibrahim and therefore was not the subject of a confiscation order.

Sarah Appleby, Head of Enforcement, Food Standards Agency: "This was a complex case and we worked closely with our partners to secure this outcome. We hope that the outcome of this case sends a clear message that those who put public health at risk will not profit in any way from their crimes."

DCI Steve Waite, Head of the North East Regional Asset Recovery Team said: "This case highlights the effective use of the powers available under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Results like this show the advantages of enlisting the services of the NE RART and working together with a common goal to ensure that those who have clearly benefitted from their criminal conduct have it stripped away from them"