Aftab Baig, a 47-year-old man from Glasgow, has been sentenced to four years in prison for defrauding Leeds City Council out of £710,000 in Covid-19 small business grants. Posing as a group property manager for the popular bakery chain Greggs, Baig exploited emergency relief funds intended to support businesses during the 2020 lockdown.
His sophisticated scheme, which targeted all 32 Greggs branches in Leeds, has been condemned as a brazen theft of public funds during a national crisis. This case highlights vulnerabilities in pandemic-era financial systems and raises questions about accountability in public spending.
The Fraudulent Scheme
Aftab Baig orchestrated a calculated fraud in May 2020, at the height of the UK’s first Covid-19 lockdown. He contacted Leeds City Council, falsely claiming to be a group property manager at Greggs’ head office.
Using a fake “Greggs corporate” email address, Baig sent an authentic-looking request for business rates numbers for all 32 Greggs branches in Leeds, claiming he could not access these details due to lockdown restrictions. The council, operating under pressure to distribute funds quickly, provided the information without thorough verification.
Baig, who had no connection to Greggs and was not employed by the company, used the business rates numbers to apply for grants from the Small Business Grant Fund, a government scheme designed to provide rates relief to small businesses struggling during the pandemic.
He directed the £710,000 in grants to a bank account linked to his own catering business, AUE Catering LTD, where he was the sole director. The council approved and transferred the funds on May 22, 2020, but within five days, suspicions arose, and the account was frozen. Despite this, Baig had already moved £95,000 to separate accounts, and over £90,000 remained unrecovered.
Read : Let the Laughter Roll: 21 Jokes Guaranteed to Make You LOL
The scheme exploited a system designed for speed over security, with minimal checks to ensure rapid support for businesses. Baig’s actions were described as “sophisticated” by Judge Guy Kearl KC at Leeds Crown Court, who noted that the fraud was a deliberate attempt to siphon funds meant to keep businesses afloat during a time of unprecedented economic strain.
Investigation and Conviction
The fraud was uncovered when Leeds City Council received information indicating the claims were fraudulent, prompting swift action to freeze Baig’s bank account. The National Investigation Service (NATIS) launched a probe, and in July 2020, Police Scotland arrested Baig at his home on Paisley Road West, Glasgow.
A search of his residence revealed £16,000 in cash and forged remittance slips, which investigators believed Baig intended to use to convince the bank to release the frozen funds. These findings strengthened the case against him, pointing to a premeditated and ongoing effort to profit from the scam.
Baig was charged with three counts of fraud under section 1 of the Fraud Act 2006. On February 12, 2025, he was found guilty at Leeds Crown Court. During the trial, prosecutors highlighted how Baig took advantage of the chaotic circumstances of the pandemic, when local authorities were under pressure to distribute funds quickly.
Kelly Ward, a specialist prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), emphasized that Baig’s actions diverted taxpayer money meant for struggling businesses, undermining public services and community support.
Sentencing Baig to four years in prison, Judge Kearl described the fraud as “a disgraceful attempt to deprive the government of monies which were in short supply at a time of extreme public anxiety and crisis.”
He underscored that Baig acted as part of a group, suggesting the involvement of others, though Baig was the primary defendant in this case. The court also noted that proceedings to recover assets gained through the crime have been initiated, aiming to reclaim the outstanding £90,000-plus for the public purse.
Implications for Public Fund Oversight
Baig’s case exposes significant vulnerabilities in the emergency financial systems established during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Small Business Grant Fund, while critical for supporting businesses, relied on streamlined processes that prioritized speed over rigorous vetting.
This allowed fraudsters like Baig to exploit gaps in oversight, a problem not unique to Leeds but reflective of broader challenges faced by councils nationwide. The case has prompted calls for stronger safeguards in future relief programs to prevent similar abuses.
Leeds City Council has been praised for its quick response in detecting the fraud and freezing Baig’s account, which limited the financial damage. A council spokesperson expressed shock at the audacity of the scam, noting that the funds were intended to support local businesses facing unprecedented pressures.
The council’s collaboration with NATIS and the CPS was instrumental in securing Baig’s conviction, highlighting the importance of coordinated efforts between local authorities and law enforcement.
The case also raises broader questions about accountability and the long-term impact of fraud on public trust. The £90,000 still unrecovered represents a significant loss of resources that could have supported genuine businesses or public services.
As governments worldwide reflect on the pandemic’s economic measures, Baig’s conviction serves as a cautionary tale about the need for robust fraud detection mechanisms, even in times of crisis. The CPS has signaled its commitment to pursuing asset recovery, but the process is complex and may not fully restore the lost funds.
The jailing of Aftab Baig marks a significant step in addressing pandemic-era fraud, but it also underscores the ongoing challenge of balancing rapid response with financial security. His actions, described as a betrayal of public trust, have left a lasting impact on Leeds and serve as a reminder of the human cost of exploiting systems meant to protect the vulnerable.
As the UK continues to recover from the economic fallout of Covid-19, cases like this highlight the importance of vigilance and accountability in safeguarding public resources.