A father and daughter from Nelson, Lancashire, pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court on 25 July to running a £250,000 legal fraud, part of which involved defrauding the Legal Services Commission (LSC) with regard to legal aid.
Mohammed Arshid Khatana and his daughter Mahria Khatana were arrested after a three-year investigation by the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit and the LSC. Enquiries into the Khatana's two companies – POCA Consulting Ltd and Ultima Consulting – revealed that, despite having no legal qualification or accreditation, they would offer legal representation to clients in proceeds of crime and other criminal matters.