Courts issue confiscation orders against three investment fraudsters

Confiscation orders have been made against three individuals following their convictions and prison sentences for running an illegal investment scheme that lost investors over £1.4m.

Between 2009 and 2014, Muhammad Mirza, Samrat Bhandari and Paul Moore “systematically misled investors” – many of whom were retired and vulnerable – by giving them “wholly misleading information” about the value and prospects of a company called Symbiosis Healthcare plc.

Southwark Crown Court handed Mirza the biggest confiscation order for £1,190,128 – to be paid by 26 December. Of this amount, £754,766 is to go to confirmed victims of his offending.

Meanwhile, Bhandari had a confiscation order made against him for £376,604, all of which will be paid as compensation to people targeted by the scam. A total of £279,970 must be paid by 7 October, with the remaining £87,634 payable by 21 December.

Moore received a confiscation order of £29,736 from Maidstone Crown Court, which will also be paid to his victims.

The FCA – which brought the prosecution – confirmed it had the details of around 200 victims of the scheme, but believed there were others whose identity it had not been able to confirm. The regulator called for any individuals who believed they had fallen prey to the scam to contact them by 1 November.

The FCA will then check who is eligible for compensation and apply to the courts to ensure that the money confiscated is paid to all of the victims affected.

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