Jail for wife of fugitive Yorkshire businessman

Last November police in Bradford issued an appeal for information about Asif Alam, 39, after he was reported missing from his home in Bude Road, West Bowling.

Mr Alam had been facing extradition to Germany in relation to fraud allegations involving 2.5million Euros and police expressed concern for his welfare.

But Mr Alam had in fact fled to Pakistan and a note he left behind which suggested that it would be better if he was dead had been part of the scam.

Judge Jonathan Rose accepted that the businessman’s wife Roobina Rafique-Alam, 40, was not aware of the plan to flee the country until the day of his flight, but he said once she did know she was involved to a significant extent.

The defendant, who had no previous convictions, claimed she was put under pressure by her husband and others and Judge Rose said it may be that the note was created under Mr Alam’s “malign influence”.

The judge said Rafique-Alam had waited about nine hours before alerting police to her husband’s ‘disappearance’ and by that time he had already left the jurisdiction.

Judge Rose said when the defendant finally reported her husband as missing the police resources were taken up in a fruitless inquiry when she knew he was already on his way to Pakistan.

Earlier this month Rafique-Alam pleaded guilty to a charge of doing acts tending or intended to pervert the course of justice and Judge Rose said those involved in such offences had to understand there must be serious repercussions.

“You should have had your daughters in mind when deciding to go along with this venture, but that you did not do,” Judge Rose told Rafique-Alam.

“To prison you must go because what you have done, frankly, is a wicked thing.”

Judge Rose said Rafique-Alam’s actions had denied justice to the alleged victims of her husband’s criminality in Germany.

Lawyer Tom Rushbrooke, for Rafique-Alam, said she had now been “abandoned” by her husband who had not been in contact with her.

Mr Alam is still wanted by police.