Akinremi Akintokunbo

Akinremi Akintokunbo, a former Assistant Market Manager at the London Borough of Havering, has pleaded guilty to a single charge of fraud by abuse of position under Section 1 of the Fraud Act 2006.

Key Facts and Dates:

• Offence Period: Between March 2, 2024, and December 5, 2024, Mr. Akintokunbo dishonestly abused his position.
• Method of Fraud: He carried out 133 individual refund transactions to himself using a London Borough of Havering chip and pin device.
• Total Amount: The fraudulent transactions totaled £208,700.00, representing a significant loss of taxpayers' money.
• Court Appearance and Plea: Mr. Akintokunbo pleaded guilty at Barkingside Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, June 30, 2026.
• Next Steps: The case has been sent to Snaresbrook Crown Court for sentencing and proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
• Bail Status: He has been granted unconditional bail.
• Sentencing Date: A date for the sentencing hearing has not yet been publicly given by the court, though one source mentions a hearing scheduled for July 2026. The court has ordered the probation service to prepare a pre-sentence report to assist the Crown Court in sentencing.

The fraud was uncovered following an internal review of transaction logs and financial records by the council's finance team. Councillor Sue Benjamins, Deputy Leader of the Council, emphasized the council's zero-tolerance policy towards such abuses.