Choudhury had reportedly described himself as “borderline broke”
A finance worker was jailed after stealing more than £91,000 from a breast cancer charity and using the money to fund a luxury wedding and honeymoon in Qatar.
Tameem Choudhury diverted funds intended for The Royal Marsden hospital into his personal bank account while working in the finance team at Breast Cancer Now.
He spent more than £49,000 within two days, including money on luxury items, airline tickets and wedding-related expenses.
The 29-year-old from Stoke Newington, North London also used the stolen funds to pay debt collection agencies and transfer money to family members.
He admitted fraud by false representation and converting criminal property, with the offences taking place between August and October 2023.
Choudhury was sentenced to 30 months in prison following the investigation by the City of London Police.
Abusing his Position
According to the charges, Choudhury abused his position at Breast Cancer Now by providing false bank account details to The Royal Marsden.
The false information resulted in funds being transferred into his personal bank account rather than reaching their intended destination.
He then converted the money through online transactions and card payments, spending a substantial amount on personal expenses.
Prosecutor Lucy Sutton described the offending as an “abuse of position of responsibility”.
Choudhury had reportedly described himself as “borderline broke” in messages to friends despite receiving the stolen funds.
His Santander account was eventually closed because of “suspicious activity”, with £42,866.25 remaining in the account.
The Royal Marsden, founded in 1851, is a specialist cancer hospital with sites in Chelsea, Sutton and Cavendish Square.
Breast Cancer Now describes itself as the UK’s leading breast cancer charity, funding scientific research and providing support to people affected by the disease.
Recovering Stolen Funds
Breast Cancer Now said it had fully cooperated with the police investigation and reviewed its internal processes following the fraud.
The charity said: “Following a thorough police investigation, we can confirm that a former staff member has been found guilty of charges relating to fraud.
“We take this matter extremely seriously and have fully cooperated with the police at every stage.
“We have conducted a thorough review of internal processes to best mitigate against a situation like this happening again.”
“People affected by breast cancer are at the heart of all we do.
“Through life-saving research, life-changing support and change-making campaigns, we’re changing the future of breast cancer, and we’re committed to upholding the highest standards to ensure all funds so generously donated to the charity help those affected by this devastating disease, as intended.
“Funds have been recovered and the charity has not experienced any financial loss.”
Detective Constable Yusuf Meerza, from the Fraud Operations team at the City of London Police, said the case highlighted the risks charities face when employees are entrusted with financial responsibilities.
He said: “Choudhury abused a position of trust within a charity dedicated to funding life-saving breast cancer research.
“The generosity of donors enables charities such as Breast Cancer Now to support vital research and provide help to those affected by breast cancer. Choudhury’s actions betrayed that trust and placed charitable funds at risk for his own personal gain.
“This case demonstrates that fraud can be committed from within an organisation by individuals entrusted to safeguard its finances.
“We will continue to work with victims, financial institutions and partners to identify offenders, recover stolen funds where possible, and bring those responsible before the courts.”
