Malaysian-born Cardiff college founder accused of £5mil embezzlement

Yasmin Sarwar, a Malaysian-born woman who co-founded Cardiff Sixth Form College in Wales, is on trial at Merthyr Crown Court for nine charges of theft and fraud. The college, established in 2008 by Yasmin and her then-husband Nadeem Sarwar, was initially a charitable institution that charged over £30,000 annually for A-level students and £70,000 for boarders.

According to King's Counsel Mark Cotter, Yasmin allegedly stole money meant for the college and attempted to cover her tracks by setting up sham companies to divert funds. The court heard that suspicions arose in September 2015 when head of pastoral services Gareth Collier discovered issues with the college's administration and a culture of fear.

By January 2013, auditors were unable to file statements due to delays in obtaining necessary information. Further irregularities were noted in February 2016 by Drew Lewis-Robson, who took over the college's finances. The Charity Commission conducted an inspection following the delay in submitting financial statements and launched a statutory inquiry, resulting in the termination of a staff finance assistant who suspected missing funds.

Nadeem Sarwar pleaded guilty to stealing at least £5 million between 2008 and 2016, and Ragu Sivapalan, an employee at his father's company, also pleaded guilty to causing misleading information in an auditor's report. Yasmin Sarwar's trial continues.