'I spent it all on holidays, cocaine and prostitutes,' claims post office fraudster

A FORMER postmaster convicted of a fraud at his branch was ordered to repay £436,000 of his ill-gotten gains after a judge rejected his boasts he had squandered the money on a jet-setting lifestyle, cocaine and prostitutes.

Should Manish Parmar fail to pay the amount within three months he will have to serve an additional four-and-a half years in jail on top of the six-and-a-half-year sentence he is already doing.

Parmar orchestrated a sophisticated £700,000 fraud while he ran his family’s Best One shop in Rumbridge Street, Totton, which included a post office counter.

After it was eventually uncovered and he was sent down in April 2018, prosecutors launched a Proceeds of Crime Act case in a bid to recover the money he stole.

Parmar was hauled back before Southampton Crown Court last week when prosecutor Andy Houston claimed Parmar personally benefitted from the scheme by around £495,000, arguing that was the least amount the defendant should be ordered to repay.

However, Parmar said he had only benefitted to the tune of £200,000 – but could not pay that back as he had spent it all on luxury holidays, prostitutes and cocaine.

He described paying for family trips for him, his wife and their young daughter to Dubai and Mauritius, and a £13,000 three-week stay in the USA, showing off some of their holiday snaps in court.

Parmar also claimed that on those holidays he would “sneak” off at night and visit prostitutes, as well as going on separate trips to eastern European countries, such as Romania and Bulgaria, to visit prostitutes, snort cocaine and drink expensive vodka.

He added he became attached to some of the sex workers, flying them over to Southampton on occasions to have sex with them in luxury hotels and take them shopping at Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth where he lavished them with expensive gifts.

There were two prostitutes in particular that he liked, and asked how much he had spent on the pair he answered “probably around £30,000” on each.

In total Parmar made more than 30 trips abroad and so active was he to eastern Europe that he was arrested on suspicion of people trafficking – although he never faced any charges.

But because of that arrest Parmar was paranoid the police might raid his home and find cash from the post office fraud, and claimed he stored it in lockers at two gyms where he had memberships.

Parmar described in court how he would routinely dip into the stash to take friends abroad and that some trips would escalate. One to Malaga saw the group also hit Gibraltar and then Cyprus before returning home.

However, Mr Houston challenged Parmar’s claims, declaring: “You are making it up – you have hidden your money haven’t you? You salted away over £400,000 from the post office fraud and you know where it is, don’t you?”

Parmar replied: “I have never had that kind of figure,” adding: “I have no money to hide away anywhere.”

But Mr Houston rejected that, stating: “Who knows where it is? Has it gone abroad?”

Mr Houston added that in terms of assets the only things financial investigators uncovered were two cars – a Ford Titanium and a Vauxhall Corsa.

The latter, worth £770, had been sold. The former no longer had a registered keeper but the insurance policy connected to it was in Parmar’s name.

Defending Parmar, Kannan Siva said: “To quote the late, great George Best, ‘I spent all my money on booze, birds and fast cars.’

“In Parmar’s case, he squandered his money on cocaine, hookers, holidays to Dubai and a lifestyle that was clearly beyond his means.”

Judge Peter Henry said he found Parmar’s evidence to be “unsatisfactory”, adding: “His account of eye-watering extravagance tended to support the view that he benefited to a greater extent than what he claims.”

He went on to describe the 35-year-old as “devious” and a “manipulative person”, noting he had an “almost encyclopaedic recollection” of his time with prostitutes but had not been as forthcoming when talking about the fraud and his association with others he roped into the scheme.

“He is a person who tells the truth only when it suits him,” Judge Henry added. “While giving evidence he seemed to relish painting a picture of his sexual activities which were so extreme it would put Casanova to shame.

“I believe he grossly exaggerated the amount of cash he spent on the trips and holidays.”

Judge Henry calculated Parmar benefited by around £576,000 from the fraud and criminal activity and estimated he spent around £140,000, so he ordered Parmar repay a total amount to Post Office Ltd of £436,446.

As reported in the A&T the post office fraud led by Parmar lasted around two years and saw him rope in 11 other men – most of whom were customers at a low ebb in their lives.

He used post office materials such as paying-in slips and stamps to mark official Post Office documents he sent to its Northampton head office.

The documents falsely declared money had been paid in at the Totton branch, and the Post Office was tricked into crediting the accounts with money which was then withdrawn in cash or transferred to other bank accounts.

The defendant first made four false declarations using his own bank account in January 2015 but realising he had to get others involved so as not to arouse too much suspicion, Parmar then approached customers and offered them “sweetener” deals.

When the matter went to trial Parmar denied the fraud but did not give evidence in court and was found guilty by a jury. He was sentenced by Judge Henry, who oversaw the trial and said he had “no doubt” Parmar enjoyed being seen as a “bad boy”.

Three of Parmar’s accomplices – Philip Maidment, Asir Karakulah and Gareth Hills – were jailed for a combined 62 months, but the eight other gang members were given non-custodial sentences.