On Monday 4 June 2018, at Leeds Crown Court, Mr. Chaudry Mohammad Saghir, aged 73 years, of Gibbet Street, Halifax, West Yorkshire pleaded guilty to five counts of providing unqualified immigration advice and services.
The offences took place between 5 April 2008 and 31 December 2016 at Law Chamber Kashmir Foundation, Gibbet Street, Halifax, an organisation established by Mr. Saghir. Mr. Saghir is not a qualified person and the Law Chamber Kashmir Foundation is unregulated. On 16 September 2016 Mr. Saghir accompanied an appellant to a hearing at Bradford Immigration and Asylum Chamber. A member of tribunal staff, knowing that he was unqualified, challenged Mr. Saghir who left the building. This incident was referred to the OISC and an investigation was initiated.
Mr. Saghir was previously convicted of fifteen counts of providing unqualified immigration services as a result of an earlier OISC prosecution for which he received 12 months imprisonment at Bradford Crown Court on 15 November 2005.
On Monday 13th August 2018 Mr. Saghir appeared before His Honour Judge Gordon at Leeds Crown Court for sentencing.
Mr. Saghir was sentenced to 13 months imprisonment suspended for two years and an electronically monitored curfew between 7pm and 7am for a period of six months. In sentencing HHJ Gordon said:
“These are serious matters, you have been previously convicted of 41 offences on 9 occasions and in November 2005 you were convicted at Bradford Crown Court of 15 offences contrary to Section 91 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, precisely the same as the offences for which you are being sentenced today. You knew what you were doing, it was deliberate conduct”
Speaking about the decision, Deputy Immigration Services Commissioner, Dr Ian Leigh, said, “This is not a technical or victimless crime, Chaudry Mohammad Saghir was advising vulnerable people who could not handle their immigration cases on their own. They trusted him and he betrayed that trust. I am delighted with the outcome in this case.”
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