Sunday Times
21.08 2011
'Fraudster eyes Tory rehab cash
Politicians such as former Tory cabinet minister Jonathan Aitken have been misled over a scheme to help jailed soldiers'
by David Leppard and Mark Hookham
(extract)
"A notorious conwoman is using senior politicians and prison experts to help promote her company which plans to cash in on the coalition’s “rehabilitation revolution” of offenders.
Farah Damji, the socialite daughter of a millionaire property tycoon, has boasted that she has established a “heroes centre” which will help former soldiers and servicemen who have ended up in prison.
Her “social enterprise” company has persuaded Jonathan Aitken, the former Tory minister who was convicted of perjury, to chair an MPs’ group meeting in the House of Commons next month. She has told people that the company is backed by Colin Moses, a respected former chairman of the Prison Officers’ Association. (continues)
The Sunday Times has established that her heroes centre does not exist, that she used a different name when she registered her company and that at least one eminent person allegedly supporting her denies any such backing." (continues)
Damji has been trying to raise interest in her project by telling potential backers that she has an “advisory board” of eminent people helping her. However, Moses, billed as a member of the board, said: “I have attended a couple of meetings on penal affairs at her invitation, as I attend many penal affairs meetings. But I am not on any advisory board to this Kazuri Group.” (continues)
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www.thetimes.co.uk/article/fraudster-eyes-tory-rehab-cash-kfvnr3rqh80