Former staff alleges fraud scheme and fake invoices at Cardiff Sixth Form College
A former employee testified that the founder of Cardiff Sixth Form College ordered invoices removed and hired a hacker to fabricate financial records before a Charity Commission inspection.
In testimony at Merthyr Crown Court, former data quality assurance manager Charlotte McQuade said she was asked to remove invoices covering taxis, mobile phones and other personal costs before a Charity Commission inspection of Cardiff Sixth Form College. She also recounted that an unidentified male, described by the founder Yasmin Sarwar as “the hacker”, was hired to produce a fabricated Sage accounting page. McQuade described the workplace as volatile and noted that decisions required Sarwar’s approval, with staff forced to align with either Sarwar or her then-husband Nadeem Sawar.
The prosecution alleges Sarwar used sham companies to siphon millions from the charity, while she faces charges of fraud, theft, money-laundering and abuse of position, which she denies. Sarwar’s husband has previously pleaded guilty to theft, and the college was sold to Dukes Education in 2018, before the alleged offences. The trial continues.
