Man who claimed he was abducted by Syrian rebels jailed for scamming £10,800 worth of benefits
Basir Souliman was sentenced to six months in prison by Birmingham Magistrates' Court
A Durham man has been jailed over a benefits scam that saw him claim he was abducted by rebels in Syria.
Basir Souliman was sentenced to 28 weeks in prison for fraudulently claiming more than £10,800 in benefits between February and October 2014.
The shameless father of two said he was snatched by rebel forces during a four-week trip to his hometown of Homs in Syria in January 2014. Souliman claimed he was held against his will until October 5 before a ransom was paid for his release.
However, anti-fraud investigators were tipped off about Souliman’s benefits claims during this time and fraud charges were brought against him after he returned to the UK.
Souliman, formerly of Capstone Avenue, Hockley, was defended at Birmingham Magistrates' Court by Geraldine Toal.
Ms Toal told the court Souliman had been in Britain for 16 years after being made homeless when his house in Homs was bombed. His family were in a refugee camp in war-torn Syria.
Ms Toal said: “He returned to Syria to see his wife and children.
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“His children had come over to the UK but couldn’t live without their mother so returned to the country.
“There are many issues in Syria and opposing factions and threats have been made to his family.
“He had been living in the UK for 16 years and had periods of work.
“He had been sending money back to his family in Syria.
“At this moment in time he isn’t claiming benefits but works in a pizza shop.”
Passing sentence at the court, chairman of the bench Christine Speake told Souliman: “This was a deliberate defrauding of the public purse for the sum of over £10,000.
“We take fraud of this kind very seriously. We see no alternative but to jail you.”
Souliman pleaded guilty to failing to tell the Department for Work and Pensions about a change in circumstances in his Employment Support Allowance to the sum of £3,417.08 between February 14 and October 8 2014.
He also admitted to falsely claiming £3,922.92 of housing benefits between February 17 and October 12 and £3,461.53 of child tax credits. The charges relate to March 14 to October 8, 2014.
Souliman will be supervised in the community for a year after his release from prison.
