Shahid Miah
Director / Solicitor
Shahid, as a Director of DPP Law Ltd, is a specialist lawyer in Serious Fraud cases and over the years has acted for a number of high profile individuals in defending them against the most serious of high-value fraud charges and investigations. Shahid is also a leading expert in the field of Serious Fraud, Corporate Crime, Civil Tax Investigations and Assessments, and Civil Assets Recovery proceedings before the High Court.
His expertise also includes defending clients facing claims under Confiscation Proceedings for benefiting from the proceeds of crime and has achieved a very good success rate at the Court of Appeal.
Shahid also has extensive experience of VAT missing trader and tax fraud cases including First and Upper Tax Tribunal and civil VAT and Excise Duty Appeals.
He is recognised by Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners as a key individual acting for high profile individuals successfully defending company directors and professionals charged with serious fraud.
Shahid Miah Experience Highlights
International Business Investigations
Achieved an acquittal of a company director of Hong Kong based mobile phone trading wholesaler in a £450 million MITC fraud allegation. Case involved enquiries in UAE, Spain, Far East, USA.
Successful representation in POCA proceedings of ex Times Rich individual arising out of £250 VAT million Carousel fraud/Money Laundering allegation. The case involved 200 companies across EU, UAE and Far East in respect of a 10-year investigation by HM Revenue and Customs.
Acted in respect of complex multi-jurisdictional confiscation proceedings for London based international businessman described as the “Colossus of the business world” with business interests in UAE, Africa and Mauritius in one of the largest private prosecutions to be mounted in the UK involving two non-UK residents arising out of non-payment of $19.3 loan obtained by deception.
Successfully acted for a Malawian/UAE based business which alleged to have procured contracts for goods used by Malawi governmental agencies by bribery and corruption. The case involved responding to UK law enforcement authorities and UK banks in respect of Anti Money Laundering regulations.
Acted for the Italian company director in respect of Pan European Duty Evasion/ Smuggling operation involving a UK revenue loss of £45 million who absconded the UK. The case was litigated in both Italy and UK and investigated by UK Revenue and Customs and Italian investigation authorities.
Acted for UAE individual for one of the first-ever extraditions between UK and UAE, the client successfully resisted extradition process on grounds of reciprocity (conduct for extradition sought not criminal in both requesting states and requested state) and flaws in the application process itself by UK authorities.
Successful challenge to extradition on behalf of UK based individual to the Netherlands following an allegation of Money Laundering. Judged to be invalid based on Dual Criminality Test.
Domestic Business Investigations
Achieved acquittal of company officer in respect of £300 million VAT fraud investigated by HMRC, company traded in mobile phone and computer software. Investigators unravelled a complex web of business transactions fabricated to conceal a financial fraud.
Successful confiscation settlement negotiations “Certificate of Inadequacy” application in respect of UK based individual based on a Confiscation Order arising out of a £250million VAT fraud, one of the principal organisers of an extensive network of 41 companies used to cheat the Revenue.
Successful representation of UK based commodity brokerage company in respect of Restraint Order Proceedings arising out of an allegation of fraud successfully argued the preconditions for satisfying statutory criteria for Restraint Order not met. The case involved issues surrounding “corporate veil” and “risk of dissipation”.
Achieved acquittal of Property Development Company Director in respect of an allegation of land banking fraud
A successfully represented mortgage broker in a landmark case involving the offence of money laundering under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 s.328(1) which would only be committed where the property in question was “criminal property” at the time of the relevant arrangement; not guilty of the offence.
Successful confiscation settlement negotiation of Independent Financial Advisor in confiscation proceedings, an investigation by National Crime Agency into false applications for mortgage lending. The confiscation proceedings involved tracing assets held under a Jersey based Trust and other international jurisdictions.
Civil Fraud/Claims
Acting for company director of the substantial retailer in respect of High Court Freezing Order for unpaid VAT and Corporation Tax of £3.9 million based on trading in the fraudulent supply chain over a sustained period in wholesale supply of alcoholic drinks, off record sales and fraudulent evasion of VAT.
Acting for Construction company for a claim in respect of unpaid fees for services rendered in respect of Research and Development Tax Relief/Credits from HMRC.
Acted in insolvency proceedings for respondent in a claim by a liquidator appointed to a global Asian Fashion magazine company for unfair preference payments arising out debts to HMRC for tax and VAT.
Acted for various respondents to Property Freezing Orders served under Part 5 Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 at High Court to freeze and obtain an order for recovery of the property said to derive from unlawful conduct arising out of dealings within the property industry, sale of drugs, money laundering and tax fraud.