THE BOSS of a Bradford law firm jointly accused of a £600,000 fraud claimed he has been “hounded” by the Legal Aid Agency and “criminalised”.

Mohammed Ayub, the managing partner of Chambers Solicitors, told a court he was arrested at his office and thrown in a police cell for ten hours.

He claimed the matter was a civil dispute and the Legal Aid Agency was afraid of going to an arbitrator as Chambers had been successful in previous appeals.

Ayub, 55, told a Sheffield Crown Court jury: “I have been treated ridiculously by the LAA. I put my position clearly that this was a civil dispute. I was absolutely appalled that the LAA had me arrested over this matter. They didn’t want to face an independent arbitrator only because they knew I was right and they were wrong.

“I have never been treated fairly by the LAA. I have been literally at breaking point. I would like to see another firm of my size scrutinised like this by the LAA.

“Somebody had decided to criminalise me because they could not deal with me in a civil court. That’s why I’m here, it is easier to criminalise me. They were hoping Chambers Solicitors would be history.”

Ayub, of Aireville Drive, Shipley, along with his brother Mohammed Riaz, 48, and Chambers’ immigration supervisor Neil Frew, 48, is accused of creating a “sham” company Legal Support Services to dishonestly claim inflated disbursements or expenses for interpreters from the LAA.

Cross-examined by Simon Kealey, prosecuting, Ayub agreed Chambers had paid LSS, which was run by Riaz, £234,000 recouped from the LAA for interpreters’ services from February, 2012 to January, 2014.

He said: “This is between myself and my brother, it is not unusual we work on an informal basis in matters like this. Ultimately he’s my brother. With all my family members I’m extremely generous.”

Asked if this was not a loss to Chambers, he replied: “I don’t consider it a financial loss, I chose to do it in that fashion.”

Ayub denied using the cash to pay £32,000 in Bradford Grammar School fees for the son of the Chambers practice manager.

He accepted that £135,000 was transferred from LSS to an amusement arcade company in which he was in partnership with Riaz but claimed it was not for his benefit.

“That money was not for me, it was for my elder brother to buy property,” he said.

He knew that nearly £500,000 had been withdrawn from LSS, which the court has heard was based next to Chambers’ Grattan Road office, but it was not removed so nobody would know where it had gone.

Ayub, Riaz, of Southfield Square, Manningham and Frew, of Hoyle Court Drive, Baildon deny conspiracy to defraud. The trial continues.