Melissa Khemani Wiki
Melissa Khemani Biography
An anti-corruption expert has been acquitted of laundering part of the proceeds of the alleged fraud of her husband, a lawyer for the Commonwealth Secretariat, of £ 1.3 million.
Melissa Khemani, 41, had been charged with laundering £ 61,000 between October 2018 and 2019, but today she was acquitted of the charges.
Her husband Joshua Brien, 47, allegedly defrauded the Commonwealth Secretary by creating false invoices while working as legal counsel at the organization’s headquarters at Marlborough House in Westminster.
Brien, from Notting Hill, West London, is also accused of failing to inform the US law firm Colley, where he became general counsel, of the reason why he had been fired from his previous employer.
Ms. Khemani is a renowned anti-corruption expert who also worked at Commonwealth headquarters.
Melissa Khemani 41 had been accused of laundering £61,000 between October 2018 and 2019, but was cleared of the charge today. Her husband Joshua Brien (left), 47, allegedly defrauded the Commonwealth Secretariat
The couple were charged as part of an investigation by the Met’s Economic Crimes Command.
Brien, an expert in maritime law, is accused of creating false invoices worth 1.3 million pounds sterling while working for the Commonwealth Secretariat.
In addition, he is accused of fraud by not informing his new employer of the reason why he had been fired.
One of the fraud charges alleges that Brien “provided fraudulent bank statements claiming to have a bank balance of £ 641,139.05 when in fact he had only £ 893.45, with the intention of renting his place of residence.”
He appeared in court via video link and spoke only to confirm his name and address.
Brien faces three counts of misrepresentation fraud, two counts of misrepresentation fraud, three counts of acquisition of criminal property, concealment of criminal property, and possession of an item for use in the course of fraud.
The charges date from January 1, 2015 to October 29 of last year.
Ms. Khemani, of Holland Park, West London, was acquitted of a single charge of money laundering.
