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Eat Out To Help Out.
£250k Eat out to Help out scam exposed: How the Lamborghini-driving boss of a huge Papa John's pizza franchise got a slice of YOUR cash, even though it offered mostly takeaway
Millionaire Raheel Choudhary (top) is suspected of stealing more than £250,000 of taxpayers' cash by claiming fake Eat Out to Help Out meals - despite the fact most of his restaurants were not even eligible for the offer. Choudhary, who lives in a £1.6million home in north east London (inset) and drives a Lamborghini, is the pizza giant's largest UK franchisee, operating 61 restaurants, including in Tunbridge Wells (bottom) and West Norwood. Last night, fraud experts warned the suspected scam was the 'tip of the iceberg', and highlighted how easily Government coronavirus schemes could be exploited, costing taxpayers billions of pounds. Mr Choudhary promised his managers bonuses for putting in large numbers of the fake orders. Workers who objected said they were threatened with the sack or fewer hours.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html
Millionaire Raheel Choudhary (top) is suspected of stealing more than £250,000 of taxpayers' cash by claiming fake Eat Out to Help Out meals - despite the fact most of his restaurants were not even eligible for the offer. Choudhary, who lives in a £1.6million home in north east London (inset) and drives a Lamborghini, is the pizza giant's largest UK franchisee, operating 61 restaurants, including in Tunbridge Wells (bottom) and West Norwood. Last night, fraud experts warned the suspected scam was the 'tip of the iceberg', and highlighted how easily Government coronavirus schemes could be exploited, costing taxpayers billions of pounds. Mr Choudhary promised his managers bonuses for putting in large numbers of the fake orders. Workers who objected said they were threatened with the sack or fewer hours.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html
Comments
Best not waste, anytime taking a looksy, then. 🤔😏😉
I would call that, something the SFO (serious fraud office) and HMRC should be (if not already) getting Xtra busy with, and about.
In fact, most do not realise, just how much 'clout' HMRC have at their disposal,plenty plenty.
As they state themselves, it's our duty to protect, we won't hesitate to act.
Wonder if Mr Choudhary, is enjoying his breakfast, quite as much, as usual.
For balance, Mr Chaudhary disputes the allegations;
Mr Chaudhary said in a statement: "Of my 61 franchises, 40 have seating capacity, and we implemented the 'Eat Out to Help Out Scheme' in all of those 40 stores from Monday to Wednesday throughout August.
"All customers who benefited from the scheme ate in store and we are confident that we were fully compliant with the criteria set by the government.
A representative for Mr Chaudhary said the Eat Out to Help Out scheme accounted for 9% of total orders in August.
Mr Chaudhary said: "When the government's scheme ended, we followed up with our own discount offer in September."
Mr Chaudhary said that on average, his stores saw an average of 32 customers a day across the 40 stores that took part in the scheme in August.
Papa John's investigating claims of £250,000 Eat Out to Help Out fraud
"We will be extremely concerned and disappointed if they prove to be true. All of Papa John's UK stores are run by franchisees and we made it very clear to all franchisees that we felt it unlikely that they would be eligible to participate in Eat Out To Help Out (EOTHO)," a spokesman told the BBC.
The Mail said it conducted its investigation with the help of several whistleblowers who worked for Mr Chaudhary's stores.
Allegations
The newspaper claims that Mr Chaudhary instructed staff to process thousands of fake meals under the scheme across 57 of the 61 branches he owns, resulting in hundreds of thousands of pounds being wrongly claimed.
In one incident, the Mail alleges that 13 orders were processed in under a minute at the Tunbridge Wells branch, despite staff being told it was forbidden to eat in the store, which has no tables.
It is alleged that branch managers were given targets of £500-£600 per day for stores that had turnovers of under £10,000 per week, or a target of £1,000 a day for bigger branches with a turnover of more than £10,000 per week.
The newspaper added that Mr Chaudhary had instructed his staff to record payments made by "phantom covers" as voucher payments.
However, the BBC understands that franchisees were clearly instructed by Papa John's GB Ltd that the franchise would not be participating in the scheme.
Franchisees are bound by agreements that require them to follow all guidelines issued by Papa John's GB Ltd, as well as abiding by and meeting ethical standards and regulatory obligations.
It is also understood that the digital tills software, which is frequently remotely updated by the head office, has never included an Eat Out to Help Out scheme voucher button, and the scheme cannot be used on the Papa John's UK website either.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54472324
All the Eat Out to Help Out rules you may not know - what is and isn't included
4) The food and soft drinks must be for immediate consumption on the premises
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/eat-out-help-out-rules-18726252
That's why the UK Border Force can just pretty much dump all your belongings on the bench without a warrant when you pass through customs. I believe they're all part of HMRC if not I'm sure Haysie will correct me lol.
Millionaire Raheel Choudhary owns 61 Papa John's franchises across the UK
He added chairs after Mail exposed how he claimed taxpayer cash on thousands of eat-in meals despite most of his stores being collection and delivery only
He also switched Google review searches to say 'dining in' is available in most of his stores; previously, this was listed as forbidden in all but one of his franchises
Mr Choudhary confirmed he claimed £185,000 in Eat Out offer - but says all were from customers who ate in at 40 of his stores that took part in it
Before: This was how Mr Choudhary's branch in Norbury, South London, used to look - a single chair and a small table
After: In Norbury now, there are five extra chairs. Mr Choudhary has also switched Google review searches to say 'dining in' is available in most of his stores. Previously, this was listed as forbidden in all but one of his franchises
This is how the Walton-on-Thames branch, in Surrey, looked before the chairs were added. Last night Papa John's head office, which had told Mr Choudhary not to take part in Eat Out to Help Out and has launched an investigation into the Mail's findings, said any attempt to 'distort or obstruct the truth' would be unacceptable
Now: In Walton-On-Thames in Surrey, where there was just a narrow bench against a wall for customers to wait for collections, there are four additional chairs facing each other
Mr Choudhary runs his franchises through a series of companies, which he has registered on Companies House as 'take-away food shops and mobile food stands'. Many of the Papa John's restaurants, including this one in Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, did not even have space for customers to eat in - meaning they were not eligible for the Eat Out to Help Out scheme
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8890249/Millionaire-boss-Papa-Johns-pizza-franchise-suspected-Eat-Help-scam.html
HM Revenue and Customs said three men have been arrested on suspicion of fraud linked to Chancellor Rishi Sunak's Eat Out to Help Out discount scheme.
HMRC officers arrested the men - aged 43, 48 and 37 - on Tuesday at their London addresses on suspicion of cheating the public revenue and fraud by false representation.
Three people have also been arrested over alleged fraud linked to coronavirus Bounce Back loans.
This trio were held in the Birmingham area on October 30 accused of fraudulently obtaining £145,000 in government-backed loans.
The arrests come after a recent report suggested one of the biggest alleged frauds into the Eat Out to Help Out scheme was at the Papa John's pizza chain.
A Daily Mail investigation last month claimed outlets run by Raheel Choudhary took part in the scheme when they were collection and delivery-only during the height of the pandemic.
Mr Choudhary said at the time he was "co-operating fully" with an internal investigation by Papa John's.
HMRC declined to confirm or deny whether the arrests relate to the franchise.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/first-arrests-for-alleged-fraud-over-eat-out-and-bounce-back-loan-schemes/ar-BB1aGC7O?ocid=msedgntp
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11340165/officers