A MARRIED couple and a solicitor who were jailed for their role in running bogus colleges in Croydon have had more than £1.8 million in assets confiscated.
Tiamiyu Bello and his wife Christiana Bello were each given five year prison sentences in October 2010 for their role in running the colleges where false employment references and education certificates were offered to individuals with no right to employment in the UK.
Solicitor Adeyinka Adeniran, who assisted with supporting and processing the bogus applications, had received an eight and a half year prison sentence.
At a confiscation hearing at Croydon Crown Court on February 21, Tiamiyi Bello was ordered to pay back £863,107, his wife Christiana was ordered to pay back £860,559, and Adeniran £80,000.
The Bellos face a further four years in prison if they fail to make the repayment within six months and Adeniran a further two years.
All three were convicted in 2010 of conspiracy to breach UK Immigration Law at Croydon Crown Court.
Following the trial, officers from the London Regional Asset Recovery Team began investigating the financial affairs of the trio.
The financial investigation uncovered significant evidence showing houses held in the names of the Bello's seven children actually belonged to Mr and Mrs Bello.
Several properties in London, Liverpool and Sunderland were 'restrained' and bank accounts containing over £120,000 were frozen.
The Bellos have since been released from prison on licence while Adeniran remains in prison.
DS Marek Coghill of the London Regional Asset Recovery Team said:
"During the course of our investigation it became apparent that the Bellos were using their children to manage their properties and financial interests.
"They believed investigators would never discover that these properties were in fact owned by themselves, nor that the proceeds of the fraud would be removed from them.
"We knew that the Bellos and Adeniran profited hugely from their criminal activity. By working hard to present this evidence to the court, we have ensured that these three individuals will not continue to enjoy the vast sums of money made from their crimes."
