An update on this story, which had earlier generated controversy over a witness’ intention to testify in a full face veil. “Muslim school director Anwar Sayed guilty of fraud,” from the Australian Associated Press, October 28 (thanks to Twostellas):
The director of a Muslim school in Perth has been found guilty of falsifying student numbers to fraudulently obtain state and federal government grants.
In the District Court in Perth, Anwar Sayed was found guilty by a jury on two counts of fraud.
The 50-year-old was accused of falsifying student numbers at the Muslim Ladies College of Australia in Kenwick, in Perth’s south, to fraudulently obtain part of $1.125 million in state and federal government grants.
The school received about $164,000 from the state government and about $961,000 from the federal government. Sayed, from Canningvale in Perth’s south, is the director of Muslim Link Australia, which runs the school.
The court heard that he signed a declaration that, in the 2006/07 census year, more than 180 students were enrolled in the school when there were 80 to 100 fewer than that.
Sayed was remanded in custody to be sentenced on November 30.
The case became notorious in August when Judge Shauna Deane ruled that a Muslim woman giving evidence for the Prosecution to the jury must remove her naqib, or burqa, the tradtional veil covering her face….