THE wife of a former president of Gambia has been electronically tagged, after being convicted of housing benefit and council tax fraud in East Grinstead.
Lady Njaimeh Jawara is one of two wives of Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, who demanded and gained Gambian independence from British colonial rule during his time in office from June 1962 to April 1970.
Lady Jawara, who lives in East Grinstead, Sussex claimed housing benefit and help with council tax from Mid Sussex District Council, as well as pension credit from the Department for Work and Pensions on the basis that she was living in a housing association flat in the town. However, the 65-year-old did not tell either authority when she went to Gambia on five occasions, each for longer than 13 weeks, between 2008 and 2013.
Claimants are required to notify the authorities if they will be away for any significant length of time because they are not usually entitled to benefits during prolonged absences. The trips Lady Jawara made to Gambia resulted in her being overpaid £9,255 in pension credit, £8,848 in housing benefit, £1,192 in council tax benefit and £484 in council tax support.
On Friday, at Worthing Magistrates’ Court, Lady Jawara pleaded guilty to seven counts of failing to inform Mid Sussex District Council and the Department for Work and Pensions about changes in her circumstances.
Magistrates sentenced her to be electronically tagged for 20 weeks, prohibiting her from leaving her home between 7pm and 7am during this period. They also ordered her to pay a victim surcharge of £60 and to pay Mid Sussex District Council’s investigation and prosecution costs of £4,286. She is also required to pay back all the overpaid pension credit, housing benefit, council tax benefit and council tax support.
“The council works with the Department for Work and Pensions on matters like this and takes firm action against the small minority of claimants who seek to cheat and be a drain on the wallets and purses of the law abiding residents of Mid Sussex,” said Councillor Jonathan Ash-Edwards, district council cabinet member for finance and service delivery.
