The principal trustee of a charity, who attempted to steal over £100,000 in a Gift Aid tax relief fraud, has been sentenced after an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Eyob Ghebre Sellassie, from Essex, submitted two Gift Aid declarations for 1,300 fictitious donations to African Aids Action, totalling £416,074.

The false claims resulted in a Gift Aid tax repayment of £104,018 that he wasn’t entitled to.

Peter Milroy, Assistant Director, Criminal Investigation, HMRC, said: “This was a despicable crime that saw Sellassie use the identities of innocent taxpayers to steal from the nation’s finances, while pretending to support vulnerable people overseas with serious health issues. He thought he could abuse the Gift Aid system to greatly enhance his lifestyle without getting caught. He was wrong and will now pay the price for his criminal actions.”

Sellassie purchased the names and addresses of 5,000 people to fabricate donations. He went on to use 1,300 of those names and addresses to support his illegal Gift Aid tax relief claims. Evidence gathered by HMRC confirmed the donations had not been made.

African Aids Action Limited’s stated aim was the “relief of people suffering from HIV, particularly those from Africa and the Caribbean, by providing a confidential mother tongue counselling and advice service and by improving access to HIV and AIDS treatment in Africa.”

The charity was de-registered by the Charity Commission and removed as a charitable organisation three days after Sellassie was arrested by HMRC in September 2013.