'Millionaire' Muslim woman who claimed she was a single mum so she could live in public housing now wants LEGAL AID to appeal her sentence
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- Category: Uncategorised
- Created: Wednesday, 22 February 2017 00:11
- Written by Lucy Mae Beers - Daily Mail Australia
'No remorse': Millionaire Muslim fraudster who posed as a 'battling single mother' so she could live in public housing cries in court as she loses appeal against home detention.
Rebecca Khodragha, 44, appeared at Parramatta District Court on Wednesday to fight her three months home detention sentence, hoping for it to be lightened to community service.
The married mother-of-two, whose husband owns an electrical business which rakes in more than $1million each year, was given the sentence in 2016 when she was convicted of welfare fraud.
The court was previously told that Ms Khodrangha's husband Khaled Sabsabi owned a lucerative electrical contracting business which was registered to the housing commission address.
At the same time Ms Khodrangha was claiming welfare benefits, the couple owned two other investment properties - in Lakemba and Greenacre - which they later sold for a significant profit.
Justice Martin Sides said mother-of-two had an 'absence of remorse' and 'complete lack of insight', and dismissed the appeal.
The court heard that despite the fraud conviction, Ms Khodragha is still living in public housing and receives Centrelink payments.
'Millionaire' Muslim woman who claimed she was a single mum so she could live in public housing now wants LEGAL AID to appeal her sentence - as she leaves court clutching a Coach designer handbag.
Ms Khodragha married husband Khaled in an Islamic ceremony in 1991 but their wedding was unregistered and the pair have been in a Punchbowl housing commission unit in the city's south-west since that year, 7News reported.
The public housing unit block where Rebecca Khodragha and her family lived. The court heard that despite the fraud conviction,
Ms Khodragha's lawyer, Zemarai Kahtiz, argued the 44-year-old's offending was from October 14 to 20, 2014 only, and not a longer period as claimed by the prosecution.
He told the court she made $8036.40 within those six days.
'That's the benefit she obtained, not $80,000 or $90,000 as the Crown sees it,' he said.
'As a result, whatever advantage obtained flows from that date'.
Ms Khodragha and her husband bought this Greenacre house in 2002 +12
Ms Khodragha and her husband bought this Greenacre house in 2002
Ms Khodragha's lawyer, Zemarai Kahtiz told the court she made $8036.40 within six days +12
Ms Khodragha's lawyer, Zemarai Kahtiz told the court she made $8036.40 within six days. But Crown prosecutor Antony Di Francesco said Ms Khodragha pleaded guilty to obtaining the rebate and then hiding it from NSW Housing.
'Had she revealed the truth in 2015, they could have conducted an investigation and cancelled the rebates,' he said.
Mr Di Francesco said by limiting the offending to a number of days 'misconstrues the nature of the charge put to Ms Khodragha to which she pleaded guilty'.
Mr Kahtiz said the mother-of-two has been fired from her job at a medical centre as a result of the court case.
He also said she is suffering a number of psychological conditions, including anxiety and depression.
Ms Khodragha was tearful as Judge Sides threw out the appeal.
According to Housing NSW, 60,000 people are on the waiting list for public housing.
The mother-of-two has been fired from her job at a medical centre as a result of the court case, according to her lawyer.
Source : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4247754/Muslim-Centrelink-fraud-Rebecca-Khodragha-appeal-court.html
