Post by Teddy Bear on Jun 14, 2012 23:39:12 GMT
Oh the irony - one of the men involved with exposing rogue traders for the Watchdog programme has himself been exposed and charged with benefit fraud.
The BBC itself could do with a mirror for its Watchdog programme.
The BBC itself could do with a mirror for its Watchdog programme.
BBC Watchdog star who hunts down rogue traders is wanted over '£24,000 benefits fraud'
Dan Penteado has been charged with benefit and council tax fraud
Rogue Traders star allegedly pocketed payouts while working for the BBC
Warrant issued for his arrest after he failed to turn up for court hearing
He is familiar to viewers of Watchdog as one half of the motorbike-riding team of investigators who chase down unscrupulous tradesmen and bring them to justice.
Now Dan Penteado, who co-hosts the Rogue Traders part of the programme with presenter Matt Allwright, is a wanted man himself.
He is accused of pocketing more than £24,000 in benefits that he wasn’t entitled to while he worked for the BBC.
Mr Penteado, 40, from Bournemouth, has not responded to letters of enquiry sent to him by Bournemouth Borough Council.
As a result he was sent a court summons to appear before magistrates on Wednesday to answer several charges of fraud. But he failed to show up and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Johanne McNamara, prosecuting, told Bournemouth magistrates that Mr Penteado, a private investigator, stated he was a student to claim the benefits from 2008 to 2012.
She said: ‘Mr Penteado was claiming housing benefit and council tax benefit on the basis he was a full-time student with a family, he received benefit on that basis.
‘Over a period of time his position has changed. He was actually employed on BBC’s Rogue Traders’ programme as a motorbike rider.
‘There are a number of offences. Some relate to failing to disclose a bank account which his wages were paid into, others relate to failing to notify a change in his circumstances when he was hired by the BBC.’
She told the court that his BBC wages varied from year to year.
Miss McNamara said that in 2008 he was paid more than £16,000 and between July 2009 and March 2012 he received more than £15,000.
He then received a further £18,000 for work done between July 2010 and January 2011 and more than £6,000 for work done between May and December 2011.
Miss McNamara said he had been overpaid £24,077.60 in housing and council tax benefit that he would not have been entitled to if he declared his BBC work.
A spokesman for Dorset police said: ‘We can confirm that an arrest warrant has been issued for Mr Penteado over allegations of benefit fraud.’
Portuguese-born Mr Penteado started working with Mr Allwright in 2001. In the last series of Watchdog, the pair confronted eight business owners who they felt were ripping off the public.
Dan Penteado has been charged with benefit and council tax fraud
Rogue Traders star allegedly pocketed payouts while working for the BBC
Warrant issued for his arrest after he failed to turn up for court hearing
He is familiar to viewers of Watchdog as one half of the motorbike-riding team of investigators who chase down unscrupulous tradesmen and bring them to justice.
Now Dan Penteado, who co-hosts the Rogue Traders part of the programme with presenter Matt Allwright, is a wanted man himself.
He is accused of pocketing more than £24,000 in benefits that he wasn’t entitled to while he worked for the BBC.
Mr Penteado, 40, from Bournemouth, has not responded to letters of enquiry sent to him by Bournemouth Borough Council.
As a result he was sent a court summons to appear before magistrates on Wednesday to answer several charges of fraud. But he failed to show up and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Johanne McNamara, prosecuting, told Bournemouth magistrates that Mr Penteado, a private investigator, stated he was a student to claim the benefits from 2008 to 2012.
She said: ‘Mr Penteado was claiming housing benefit and council tax benefit on the basis he was a full-time student with a family, he received benefit on that basis.
‘Over a period of time his position has changed. He was actually employed on BBC’s Rogue Traders’ programme as a motorbike rider.
‘There are a number of offences. Some relate to failing to disclose a bank account which his wages were paid into, others relate to failing to notify a change in his circumstances when he was hired by the BBC.’
She told the court that his BBC wages varied from year to year.
Miss McNamara said that in 2008 he was paid more than £16,000 and between July 2009 and March 2012 he received more than £15,000.
He then received a further £18,000 for work done between July 2010 and January 2011 and more than £6,000 for work done between May and December 2011.
Miss McNamara said he had been overpaid £24,077.60 in housing and council tax benefit that he would not have been entitled to if he declared his BBC work.
A spokesman for Dorset police said: ‘We can confirm that an arrest warrant has been issued for Mr Penteado over allegations of benefit fraud.’
Portuguese-born Mr Penteado started working with Mr Allwright in 2001. In the last series of Watchdog, the pair confronted eight business owners who they felt were ripping off the public.