Former HMRC employee helped her ex-husband launder over £3 million but avoided prison time due to this

A former employee of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), Kuldip Badesha, 46, helped her ex-husband launder over £3 million but avoided prison time.

She admitted to misconduct in a public office and was sentenced to 14 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, by Southwark Crown Court. She was also ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work and five days of rehabilitation activities.

Badesha’s ex-husband, Ranbir Singh, also known as Ray Singh Rana, was jailed for six years after being convicted of laundering £3.3 million between 2015 and 2018.

Judge Adam Hiddleston said that while Badesha assisted Singh in creating fake companies and documents, she did not make any money from the scheme and acted because she “felt obliged” to help him.

The judge acknowledged her remorse and noted she had no prior criminal record, describing her as someone with a good work history who had lost everything due to her actions.

Singh’s crimes involved elaborate planning over several years. He used fake companies to open bank accounts, allowing the laundering of significant sums. Singh had a long criminal history, including an 11-year prison sentence for kidnapping in 2008.

Badesha met Singh shortly before his kidnapping conviction and continued their relationship while he was in prison. They married in 2013 during one of his weekend releases.

The money laundering began while Singh was on day release and continued after his release in 2014. Badesha did not inform HMRC of their relationship, Singh’s criminal record, or his ongoing activities.

Investigators found that Badesha was living beyond her means, leasing a luxury Bentley and taking expensive vacations. She was arrested in 2018 by HMRC’s anti-corruption unit and dismissed from her role in 2019.

HMRC officials called her actions a severe breach of trust, emphasizing that money laundering supports other serious crimes and undermines public confidence in institutions.

The judge expressed hope that Badesha would not re-offend, noting that she had already faced severe personal and professional consequences. Meanwhile, Singh showed no remorse and avoided looking at Badesha as he was led to jail.