Civil Servant Admits to Over £40,000 in Fraudulent Expense Claims

A civil servant from the Department for Work and Pensions may face imprisonment after admitting to defrauding the government of over £41,000 in unauthorised expenses, a court has heard.

Maurice Okello, 39, also confessed to submitting a forged sick note to his employer in order to claim more than £4,000 in salary while travelling abroad under the pretence of being unfit for work. During this time, he visited destinations including Tampa, Mexico City, Boston, the Greek island of Kos, and Morocco, as well as making multiple trips to Brussels and Gothenburg, Sweden, between December 2022 and September 2023.

Appearing at Southwark Crown Court, Okello pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud. The first involved false representation—specifically, presenting a forged medical certificate to receive £4,138.96 in sick pay while travelling overseas. When asked for his plea, Okello responded, "Guilty, yeah."

The second charge was fraud by abuse of position, relating to the unauthorised expenses totalling £41,476.91.

Judge Christopher Hehir advised that sentencing would be postponed until a pre-sentence report is completed to assess Okello's background and the context of the offences. While granting unconditional bail, the judge made clear that this was not an indication of the eventual sentence.

"You have pleaded guilty to two serious offences," Judge Hehir said. "All sentencing options, including immediate custody, remain on the table due to the serious nature of these crimes and the considerable breach of trust involved."

Okello, of Harrow Weald in north-west London, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 13 at Southwark Crown Court.

PM Law