A British High Court judge has found a UK-based Pakistani-origin solicitor liable for fraud in an $834,000 embezzlement scheme targeting a London Mosque imam’s family. Deputy High Court Judge Christopher Pymont KC delivered a 73-page judgment condemning the solicitor as entirely dishonest and manipulative.
According to a local English daily, the legal battle stemmed from a profound personal relationship between the parties. Imam Mashal of the Whitechapel East London Mosque had previously taught Arabic and Islamic studies to Awais Javed after the latter arrived from Pakistan as an international student. Over time, the relationship deepened into a mentorship, with the imam welcoming Javed into his family home.
Between 2018 and 2019, the imam’s family agreed to a Sharia-compliant property investment venture with Javed. Trusting his professional status as a qualified solicitor admitted in 2016, the family transferred £834,000 including £80,000 in cash, into accounts controlled by Javed. Much of the capital represented lifelong family savings and inheritances intended for secure property purchases.
The High Court found that Javed contributed none of his own money. He acquired properties using the family’s funds, subjected them to conventional interest-bearing mortgages contrary to the agreed Sharia structure, and diverted substantial sums for personal use.
Judge Pymont noted that the defendant operated as secretively as possible. In his ruling, the judge described Awais Javed as an “entirely dishonest witness, by turns argumentative, evasive and untruthful.” He added that he had “no doubt” the family placed complete trust in Javed, but the solicitor manipulated the situation to his advantage.
The judgment recorded that after selling his own home, Javed transferred the proceeds and the claimants’ funds to Pakistan before declaring bankruptcy to evade repayment. The court specifically rejected Javed’s denial of receiving the £80,000 cash sum, labeling that testimony entirely dishonest.
Consequently, the court ordered the offender to repay £834,000 alongside recoverable rental income and awarded compound interest at eight percent per annum. Judge Pymont confirmed that the decision was based strictly on the findings of fraud and fraudulent breach of trust, ensuring the financial liability would survive Javed’s bankruptcy discharge.
