NINE people have been charged with 60 offences in connection with an alleged fraud at a company delivering Government employment schemes.

Six women and three men, three of whom are from Slough, were charged on Thursday evening in connection with the alleged fraudulent activity at social purpose company A4e.

It is contracted by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to deliver the Government’s flagship 'Inspire to Aspire’ employment and training scheme.

It is alleged between February 2009 and February this year nine employees, including one contract manager, seven recruiters and an administrator, employed across three A4e offices in the South East, committed numerous fraud offences.

Sue Patten, head of fraud at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “It is alleged that they forged documentation to support fraudulent claims to the DWP for reward payments which, under the terms of the contract, were paid out when the scheme successfully placed individuals in employment.

“It is alleged that many of the reward payments related either to people who never attended A4E or to clients whom A4E had not successfully placed in employment. The contract was to deliver motivation and training and to assist people to find employment.” Recruiter Aditi Singh, 30, of Elmshott Lane, Slough, has been charged with three counts of forgery and one count of possession of an article for use in fraud.

Recruiter Bindiya Dholiwar, 27, of Reddington Drive, Slough, has been charged with seven counts of forgery.

Administrator Zabar Khalil, 34, of Dolphin Road, Slough, has been charged with five counts of forgery and one count of conspiracy to defraud.

All nine charged are due to appear at Slough Magistrates’ Court on Monday (14).

- others charged Charles MacDonald, 43, of Derwent Road, Egham, has been charged with seven counts of forgery, one count of possessing an article for use in fraud and two counts of making articles for use in fraud.

Nikki Foster, 30, of High Tree Drive, Reading, has been charged with 10 counts of forgery.

Julie Grimes, 50, of Monks Way, Staines, has been charged with 10 counts of forgery.

Dean Lloyd, 36, of Rochfords, Coffee Hall, Milton Keynes, has been charged with 13 counts of forgery.

Ines Cano, 37, of Madrid, Spain, has been charged with one count of forgery and one count of conspiracy to defraud.

Yasmin Ahmad, 38, of Colchester Road, Southend on Sea, has been charged with two counts of forgery.

An A4e spokeswoman said all the allegations relate to old paper-based contracts system, which has since been replaced. She added the alleged incidents were uncovered by A4e’s own internal controls and the company referred the matter to the DWP, which then passed it to the police.