Couple used fake NHS order in £2m fraud
Andrew Matthews/PA WireA couple have been barred from being company directors for "tricking" investors out of more than £2m by fabricating an NHS contract.
Tanveer Khan, 55, was described as the "mastermind" behind the forgery of a fake order by NHS Wales for hundreds of beds worth £9.8m, falsifying evidence of previous deliveries, the Insolvency Service said.
Khan, and his wife Tasneem, 51, founded Matz Medical Limited in 2013, running it together until it collapsed in October 2022, leaving creditors £40m out of pocket.
The Insolvency Service said the couple - both from Loughton in Essex - had been suspended from the NHS Supply Chain in 2019 after an audit uncovered serious issues with stock management.
Despite their setback, the Khans continued their search for funding, securing a £500,000 loan from an un-named lender in March 2022, and £1.6m from an investor two months later, the government financial investigator said.
Both the lender and the investor confirmed they had received no return on their investments, which they were told was for intensive care unit beds at NHS Shared Services in Pontypool in Monmouthshire.
Trustees are continuing to chase Khan's assets, including his home, to reclaim some of the £40m deficit left behind.
'Sustained dishonesty'
Rob Clarke, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: "Tanveer Khan constructed an elaborate and calculated deception, fabricating an NHS contract, forging delivery notes and doctoring bank records to deceive investors out of millions of pounds.
"This was not a moment of poor judgement but a sustained and deliberate campaign of dishonesty.
"These disqualifications send a clear message that those who abuse the trust of investors and exploit the reputation of the NHS will face serious and lasting consequences."
At the Business and Property Courts in Manchester on 12 February, Tanveer Khan was disqualified as a director for 13 years, while Tasneem Khan was banned for 10 years for her "significant role" in the deception.
This came into effect on Thursday.
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