Bradford Uber driver claims stranger handed him £50,000 in appeal against losing licence
The 33 year old's attempt to get Bradford Council to give his taxi licence back was unsuccessful
A BRADFORD Uber driver told a court that a stranger transferred £50,000 into his bank account after overhearing him discuss financial problems in a car park.
He had planned to spend the money keeping his car business afloat during the Covid pandemic, but instead gambled it all away.
Amar Rangzab appeared at Bradford Magistrates Court on Friday to appeal a decision by Bradford Council to strip him of his taxi licence.
The revocation came after the Council was made aware that The Insolvency Service had charged Rangzab with fraud related to a loan during the Covid pandemic.
But at his appeal on Friday, Rangzab, 33 of Clayton Road, said he would be pleading not guilty to the two charges, and argued he was a fit and proper person to hold a taxi licence.
Magistrates disagreed, and dismissed the appeal.
At Friday’s appeal Waseem Raja, representing Bradford Council, gave background to the charges and why officers stripped Rangzab of his licence.
He said: “The revocation was on account of him being charged with two counts of fraud in relation to a bounce back loan he took out, and subsequently filing for bankruptcy and failing to pay it back.”
Mr Raja said Rangzab had told taxi officers that the money was obtained from a person he didn’t know.
He said he had been chatting to the man in his car about a car business he ran, and the stranger asked Rangzab for his account number, sort code and name.
Mr Raja explained the background to the Covid bounce back loans that were provided to businesses to help them recover after the pandemic.
He said: “These loans were on the condition that at some point the money should be paid back in full.
“It was to help businesses get back on their feet – but this money was not used by Rangzab for that purpose. It was spent on gambling, which made him unable to repay.
“He was charged by the insolvency service with fraud.”
He has denied the charges and his case is expected to be heard in 2027.
When Bradford Council questioned him about the charge, Rangzab told officers the £50,000 had come from a mystery individual rather than an official bounce back loan.
Mr Raja said in another incident Rangzab had applied for a loan to buy a £3,000 watch. It is alleged that in the application form he wrote that he was the owner of a property that in fact belonged to his mother.
Mr Raja told Magistrates: “In my submission Mr Rangzab’s honesty falls below the standard required of a taxi driver.”
Steven Knighton, Compliance Manager for Licensing at Bradford Council, told the court that when Rangzab was interviewed about the charges: “the story provided to us wasn’t consistent with the evidence.
“We were told it was a customer in the taxi who offered him the money. The story came out that a customer offered to help him out if he gave him his bank details and miraculously a day later the money appeared in his account.”
Asked if the Council was able to track down the generous donor, Mr Knighton said: “No.”
He went on to say Rangzab did not provide any information that could help track down that person.
Referring to the licence being revoked, he said: “We need to make sure people in a position of trust don’t abuse that position.”
Cross examining Mr Knighton, Rangzab said: “I never told that to the interviewing officer. It is a total lie.”
He said the interviewing officer had been “manipulative” when he was being questioned, and claimed he no longer had a gambling addiction.
Referring to the court case he said: “I’m going to fight it all the way.”
WHile under oath he explained what really happened. He said: “I was parked in a car park having tea and having a conversation when a gentleman in another car told me he could help.
“He told me he only needed my sort code, account number and address. I gave it to him and thought ‘what’s the worst that could happen?’
“A few days later I was surprised to see £50,000 in my account. I didn’t realise it was a bounce back loan.
“That’s the story.”
Asked if he was not concerned with a stranger asking for his bank details, he said: “If he asked for the long card number I would have been a bit more suspicious.”
Mr Raja said: “You’re not expecting the court to believe that a man you don’t know offered you money and you gave him your bank details?”
Rangzab replied: “That’s exactly what happened.”
He acknowledged that the money had been gambled away.
Under cross examination he said the incorrect information he gave on his application for the loan to buy the watch had been an innocent mistake.
Mr Raja added: “I put it to you that your honesty and integrity is not where it should be.”
Rangzab said: “Look at my record, I’ve been driving for 10 years and I’ve not had any complaints.”
Mr Raja said: “That is not entirely true.” He pointed out that he had received a warning letter about his conduct as a taxi driver in 2018.
Rangzab said he meant he had no complaints of fraud in his 10 years as a driver.
After a deliberation, Magistrates told Rangzab that his evidence was “inconsistent” and the Council’s evidence was “credible.”
His appeal was dismissed and his licence remains revoked.
He also was ordered to pay the Council costs – which came to £420.