In most consultation the responses are a few hundred, this time they need to be in the thousands to make the DSA and Government understand what
we as the experts in driving training feel with regards to these possible changes.
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Examiners, instructor and candidates sentenced in driving test fraud case
Ten people have been sentenced to a total of more than nine years for their part in a series of driving test fraud offences.
Two examiners, one driving instructor and seven candidates have been convicted of the offences, and a further 39 people had their licences revoked, following a three year investigation by Warwickshire Police and the Driving Standards Agency.
Andrew Cursley, 46 from St Nicolas Road, Nuneaton and Bushra Chughtai, 55 from Wigton, Leicestershire were both examiners at the Nuneaton driving test centre when the offences occurred between 2009 and 2011.
Both admitted passing candidates for cash - seven counts of fraud and one count of fraud by abuse of position - when they appeared at Birmingham Crown Court at the beginning of July.
Five driving test candidates, from addresses across England, had already pleaded guilty to fraud offences.
Mahomed Rafiq Abdulla Ibrahim, a driving instructor from Leicester, denied fraud offences and two candidates. Javid Iqbal from Manchester and Haviz Ghani from East London denied fraud offences.
But following a two week trial at Birmingham Crown Court all three were found guilty.
Today, Monday July 22, they were given the following sentences:
Bushra Chugtai - three years
Andrew Cursley - 18 months
Mohamed Rafiq Abdulla Ibrahim - 15 months
Javid Iqbal - six months
Haviz Ghani - six months
The five driving test candidates also received sentences ranging from four months to ten weeks.
All the defendants have also been disqualified from driving for two years.
A/DS Ruby Nailor said: "This has been a long and complicated investigation which has resulted in ten people being convicted, and many unqualified drivers being taken off the roads.
"The fraudulant acts of the driving instructor and test examiner allowed road safety across the country to be compromised, and innocent people were put in danger.
"The candidates themselves knew every time they got behind the wheel that they had not passed a genuine test and were not qualified to drive a car. They risked their own lives and the lives of other drivers, their passengers and pedestrians.
"There can be no doubt about the seriousness of their actions, and all partners are pleased that this has been reflected in the sentences passed today.
"I would like to make it clear that the two examiners no longer work at the Nuneaton test centre, and the centre itself was not under investigation."
The DSA’s Head of Fraud and Integrity, Andy Rice, said:
“The driving test is there to ensure that all drivers have the skills and knowledge to use our roads safely and responsibly.
"Anyone who tries to cheat the driving test process is putting the lives of innocent road users at risk. This sentence sends a clear message that driving test fraud is a serious offence and will be dealt with accordingly.
“We have stringent measures in place to detect any fraudulent and activity and work with the police to bring all offenders to justice. Thankfully this type of crime is extremely rare.”