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Cleaner prosecuted for benefit fraud

April 10, 2006
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A cleaner from Manor Park was sentenced to 200 hours' community punishment order plus £100 costs for claiming £8,945.53 housing and Council Tax benefit plus £6,857.35 in Jobseeker's Allowance.
Mambueni Mamengi, 56, pleaded guilty to six charges under the 1992 Social Security Administration Act when he appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on April 4.

The prosecution follows a joint investigation by Newham Council and the Department for Work and Pensions after a tip-off that Mamengi of Whitta Road was claiming benefit between March 2002 and December 2004 while working for a cleaning firm.

Investigators discovered he had made false statements on his benefit claim forms and had failed to tell the council when he got a job.

In his defence, Mamengi said he needed the money to send to his family in Kinshasa in the Congo.

Marianne Wood, chief internal auditor, said: "Benefits are meant for people who genuinely need them. Claiming benefits fraudulently amounts to stealing taxpayers' money.

"We will not hesitate to prosecute anyone if there is sufficient evidence to prove they have committed benefit fraud."

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