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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| VAT fraudster must pay back £26m | VAT fraudster must pay back £26m |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A 35-year-old man jailed for his part in a multi-million pound VAT fraud must repay £26m to the government. | A 35-year-old man jailed for his part in a multi-million pound VAT fraud must repay £26m to the government. |
| The repayment order on Craig Johnson who is serving a 12-and-a-half years, was made a confiscation hearing. | |
| Among the assets he must sell are a helicopter, his stately home near Stone in Staffordshire, two Bentleys and an Aston Martin. | |
| The fraud is one of the largest thefts from public funds that has been brought to court after a Customs investigation. | |
| Robert Alder, assistant director of Criminal Investigation for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), said the inquiry had resulted in one of the longest prison sentences for such a VAT-related offence and one of the largest confiscation orders ever secured. | |
| 'Carousel' fraud | |
| If Johnson does not repay the money he could face another 10 years in prison under the terms of the confiscation order at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Thursday. | |
| He must pay £8m within the next 12 months and the remainder within a further 12 months, HMRC said. | |
| Johnson was one of 21 people to be jailed in connection with the £138m fraud. | |
| He laundered more than £6m through a complex tax fraud involving the apparent importation and exportation of mobile telephones between several EU states. |