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Alleged perpetrators of an £81 million fraud on the Royal Mail have appeared in court. Eight defendants connected to four logistics companies are accused of abusing a self-declaration system for large postage firms by only declaring around a quarter of the mail actually sent through the post over a period of nine years, Westminster Magistrates Court heard. The alleged under-declaration allowed those involved to make unlawful profits and pass on some savings to customers to gain an advantageous market share, the court heard on Thursday. The alleged fraud took place between May 2008 and May 2017 and caused estimated losses to the Royal Mail of around £81 million, the hearing was told.
Mohammad Siddiqui, 54, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday where he denied charges relating to procedures between April 2015 and January 2019.