A former Cambridge academic has been forced to pay back £1m for defrauding government energy grants after he was caught red handed at an airport with £100,000 cash stuffed into chocolate boxes. Ehsan Abdi Jalebi, 42, tricked a government green energy project into granting him more than £2 million.
The public money was used to fund a lavish lifestyle for the professional fraudster, who invested in properties and leased out a Maserati sports car. Jelabi has now been forced to pay back £1m so far after the National Crime Agency (NCA) worked across national borders to track down his hidden assets. It was uncertain whether Jelabi would be forced to pay back any of the public money he defrauded after it was found that his money was protected in abroad accounts.
Rob Burgess, Head of Asset Denial at the NCA, said: “This is a hugely significant result and demonstrates the agency’s ability to recover criminal assets even under challenging circumstances, such as where they are held abroad. We have demonstrated our drive and ability to pursue continuous enforcement activity against those subject to Confiscation Orders to ensure they do not retain the proceeds of their crime."
