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eetcare seven faci trial

20th April 1989, Page 6
20th April 1989
Page 6
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Page 6, 20th April 1989 — eetcare seven faci trial
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

• Next month, seven former senior managers and directors from NFC's ill-fated Fleetcare subsidiary will face conspiracy and fraud charges at Southwark Crown Court.

The charges follow a fiveyear investigation by the Transport Police into allegations that Fleetcare overcharged British Rail for maintenance on its 7,000 vehicles to the tune of millions of pounds.

Some former Fleetcare depot managers have already been prosecuted for falsifying accounts and job cards.

This case, which will start on 22 May, will complete the series of prosecutions brought by the Crown Prosecution Service following the transport police investigation.

The seven former Fleetcare employees are all charged with conspiracy to account falsely; fraudulent trading; conspiracy to defraud; and conspiracy to obtain property by deception. The charges relate to parts and labour invoicing between October 1982 and January 1984.

The seven senior Fleetcare men facing trial are John Flay, Philip Ward, Donald Williams, Barry Munt, Brian Foanes, David Smith and Colin Smith. They were all committed for trial at Bow Street Magistrates Court on 6 June 1988. An NFC spokesman says: "We do not feel that it is right that we should comment at all. All of the people have their own individual representatives."

During the investigation documents were seized from 20 Fleetcare depots.

At the time of the first court case following the investigation in 1986, Fleetcare told CM: "The charges were brought against individuals and not Fleetcare as a whole. The latest court case could take six months, says one of the barristers involved.

0 The last time Fleetcare appeared in Commercial Motor with relation to alleged fraud, (11 October 1986), Leicester Crown Court was told that British Rail had been overcharged by "several million pounds".

Later, in April 1987, British Rail's maintenance contract was awarded to three different companies: TNT, Securicor and Transfleet. Fleetcare was not invited to tender. In June that year, NFC swallowed Fleetcare within British Road Services engineering division.