Former police lawyer embezzled £8,000 to fund 'lavish lifestyle'

A former chairperson of the Scottish Police Muslim Association embezzled £8,000 from her employers to help fund a shopping trip to Harrods.

Asma Ali, 47, stole the cash while in her role as a Police Scotland solicitor between March 1, 2017 and June 30, 2019.

Ali – who was appointed chair in December 2016 – received her money from a number of locations in Scotland and England.

This included at the Scottish Police Muslim Association (SPMA) based at Glasgow’s Maryhill Police Office.

The SPMA are a body that provides information, support and training to police officers in relation to Islam.

Ali, a founding member of the SPMA, carried out her cross-border operation at a bank in London and an office in Edinburgh.

Ali used some of the money to fund her “lavish lifestyle,” which included a holiday to London and a shopping trip to Harrods.

Her previous roles included the branch coordinator for the Islamic Society of Britain and leading Islam Awareness Week Scotland.

The ex-Police Scotland lawyer was also part of Mosaic Scotland, associated with the Princes Trust.

Ali pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to embezzlement.

Sheriff Louise Arrol KC ordered the mum to do 160 hours of unpaid work at Thursday’s sentencing.

A compensation order was put in place for Ali to pay back £8,000 to the SPMA.

The sheriff said: “This was an offence which occurred over a period in excess of two years.

“This required planning to the extent that at the very least you proposed and implemented a changed single signature to embezzle £8,000 from the Scottish Police Muslim Association.

“This was an organisation which received annual funding to assist its members.

“You may have been living outwith your means, and this was due in part to the lavish lifestyle which you engaged in.

“There were trips to London and a shopping trip to Harrods.

“While I cannot underestimate the impact this offence had on others, you are an intelligent person and an accomplished individual.

“It is regrettable that you lost your role as a lawyer and that your difficulties were not resolved in a legitimate way.

“You stood to lose very much and you’ve now done so.

“I have considered the difficulties in the years leading up to and after the offence and the remorse you demonstrated is genuine.

“I am pleased to note that you have managed in the face of real adversity to turn your life around.

“I am satisfied that there is an alternative to custody which is a direct alternative to custody.”

The court heard that the SPMA began to receive funding in the region of £20,000 in 2010.

Ali – in her role as secretary in 2016 – proposed a change in procedure about how expenses cheques were issued.

She asked that the process change to a single signature instead of also having a counter signatory.

The then treasurer signed this off despite reservations about maintaining transparency.

Ali later received the banking details, after which the treasurer resigned in 2018 due to concerns about how the association was being run.

From the end of 2017 until June 2019, members raised concerns about the SPMA finances and its management.

Prosecutor Lauren Sangray said: “Discussions were had between members regarding payments being made from the SPMA directly to Ali without receipts or vouching.”

Ali was asked to produce bank statements and there appeared to be a high volume of payments made to her without full vouching.

Ali formally stood down as the chairperson in August 2019.

An investigation from the Special Investigations Team at the Professional Standards Department found that Ali “was in significant debt.”

Ms Sangray said: “From the information seized, it was identified that there were a significant number of transactions between the SPMA business account and Ali’s personal Bank of Scotland Account.”

The fiscal depute added that there were “various trips including to London inclusive of flights, train fare, hotel stays, Uber journeys and a shopping trip to Harrods.”

Further cash withdrawals were made from Ali’s account, which were reimbursed through the SPMA without receipts or vouching.

Ms Sangray said: “From analysing Ali’s bank account it was clear that she was living out with her means, she was paying significant debts and often falling in to her overdraft.”

Euan Dow, defending, told the sentencing that the stolen cash – which had not been paid back – will be returned to the Association by her new employers through her salary.

Two charges of attempting to obtain £2,000 and £1,000 by fraud as well as a £500 fraud charge had not guilty pleas accepted by the Crown.

Fraser Gibson, procurator fiscal for Glasgow and Strathkelvin, said: “Asma Ali flagrantly abused the trust placed in her by the members of the Scottish Muslim Police Association (SPMA) to look after their interests.

“Instead, she used her position to embezzle funds that should have been set aside to help the association and used that money for her personal use.

“This case demonstrates that those who seek to exploit others for their own personal gain will be held to account for their crimes.

“We will always prosecute in such cases when it is in the public interest and where there is evidence to do so.”