The Financial Services Authority has banned a Birmingham mortgage broker for obtaining authorisation by giving the regulator false information to conceal his involvement in the running of the business.
Mohammed Hanif stated in his authorisation application that his daughter-in-law, Zaneb Sarfraz, trading as Pak Property Centre, had the necessary competence, capability and business experience to be an authorised person, and that she would be involved in the management and control of Pak Property Centre.
The FSA actually found that she had no knowledge of the financial services industry, she was not aware of the purpose of the authorisation application submitted in her name, and she had very little involvement in the running of the business.
The watchdog stated that Mr Hanif was the “controlling mind” of the business from the outset.
Having obtained authorisation on a false basis, Mr Hanif – together with the only mortgage adviser at Pak Property Centre, Anmbur Saddiq – submitted a mortgage application for Mrs Sarfraz based on false information about her earnings from the business.
It was also uncovered that Mr Saddiq made false mortgage applications for himself and for a family member. He has now also been banned by the FSA.
Margaret Cole, the FSA's director of enforcement and financial crime, said: “This was a deliberate act of deception and exploitation by Hanif. He deceived the FSA by presenting sham governance arrangements during the authorisation process. In doing this seemingly he had no regard for the impact on the reputation of Mrs Sarfraz.
“This misconduct, which is very serious in itself, is compounded by the fact that he went on to use the authorised business to commit mortgage fraud.”
The permission of Zaneb Sarfraz trading as Pak Property Centre has also been cancelled.
The FSA has said that maintaining the integrity of the authorisation process is essential in order to keep dishonest people out of the industry.
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