OFT BANS TWO EAST LONDON ESTATE AGENTS
(15 June 2007)

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has made prohibition orders against two East London estate agents, Azad Azam and Sheena Khan, banning them from engaging in estate agency work. Azam and Khan were directors of London and Essex Estates in Leytonstone. At Kingston Crown Court in September 2006, Mr Azam pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to obtain a money transfer by deception, one count of using a false instrument, one count of obtaining a money transfer by deception and one count of obtaining property by deception.

He was sentenced to 39 months imprisonment and disqualified from being a company director for seven years. At the time the offences were committed, Mr Azam was also working as a police officer.

Ms Khan also pleaded guilty to two counts of obtaining property by deception, one count of obtaining a money transfer by deception and one count of attempted obtaining a money transfer by deception. She was sentenced to 32 months imprisonment and disqualified from being a company director for seven years.

The offences related to Mr Azam and Ms Khan representing to both buyers and sellers where a property was being sold for a higher price than was in fact the case, and keeping the difference themselves.

The OFT decided to ban Mr Azam and Ms Khan following receipt of information about their activities from the Metropolitan police. The decision will not come into effect until the end of an appeal process.

Ray Hall, OFT Director of Markets and Projects said: 'Whether buying or selling a property, consumers need to be able to rely on the integrity of their estate agent. If an agent engages in any form of fraudulent conduct, the OFT will take action to prevent them working in the profession. The fact that Mr Azam was employed as a police officer at the time of the offences, and used this position to gain the trust of his clients, makes this case even more serious.'