A SENIOR Bolton police officer made a string of fraudulent insurance and mortgage claims worth almost £46,000, a court heard.

Insp Mohammed Razaq, aged 53, was in charge of the Bolton West neighbourhood police team until he was arrested and his office was raided by police.

It is alleged that Insp Razaq created a false damage report document, purporting to be from a genuine company, and used it as evidence for a bogus insurance claim.

Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, was told that detectives found paperwork — without figures — that matched documents sent to insurance companies in his office, and an edited version with costings were found on the computer.

The fraud charges, which he denies, relate to a series of claims for damage on properties that he owns and mortgage applications.

Insp Razaq owned four homes: two neighbouring houses in Bradford Road, Great Lever, where he lives, one in Bowker Street, Higher Broughton, and one in Duncan Street, Salford.

He was also trying to buy a fifth property in Georgina Court, Daubhill.

The court heard how he used several different identities in a bid to cover his tracks.

Insp Razaq joined Greater Manchester Police in 1978 and was one of the first Asian officers to work for the force, the jury was told.

But Robert Hall, prosecuting, said that his ambition was part of his downfall.

He said: “He was undoubtedly ambitious in his approach to life and his rise to inspector.

“The Crown says that his ambition for status and wealth is what fuelled this dishonesty.”

The court heard that in 2008 he “could not have wanted for anything else”.

He has a wife and three children in their teens or early 20s and Mr Hall said he was “not short of a bob or two”.

However, the income from the properties was linked to the housing market, which was hit by the recession.

“The effect of this financial demand on Mohammed Razaq was that his bank account, that was in good credit, started to go down in balance to where money was needed to keep them in the black,” Mr Hall told the jury.

Insp Razaq denies six counts of fraud and three counts of converting criminal property.

Builder Mushtaq Hussain, aged 50, of Armadale Road, Ladybridge, is accused of trying to help him cover up the fraud by putting money through his books which he never received.

He denies one count of fraud and one count of money laundering.

The case continues.

  • INSP Mohammed Razaq’s dishonesty started in 2008 when Razaq had a water leak at his home in Bradford Street, Great Lever, the court was told.

A surveyor said the cost of the damage was about £1,200, but Insp Razaq disputed this and submitted two documents from companies showing that the damage cost more than £7,000. The insurance company paid out £7,685. The court heard that there was water damage at another house he owned in Bowker Street, Higher Broughton, which prompted a fire service call-out. Insp Razaq submitted an insurance claim for £20,000 but it was rejected.

He changed his insurance company on his home in Bradford Road and, in 2010, he claimed again for water damage, having not declared a previous claim to the company, it is alleged. The prosecution says this damage was the same damage that he had claimed for previously, but had not been repaired. He was paid £6,300.

The court heard he also applied for a £12,000 mortgage for home improvements on an address in Bradford Street, on the basis that he lived there, but in reality it was rented out. The money was transferred to him in June, 2010.

In March, 2011, the court heard, Insp Razaq lied about which house in Bradford Road that he lived in when applying for a mortgage for the Georgina Court property.

The court was told that Insp Razaq claimed he was going to move into the Georgina Court house, but within two weeks of the mortgage being granted he called an insurance company for a quote to insure the building as a rental property.