Cardiff college founder accused of diverting £5m to fund lavish spending

Yasmin Sarwar is on trial accused of helping divert more than £5 million from Cardiff Sixth Form College, which she founded with her husband, to fund their personal spending. Prosecutors told the court the couple treated the charity as a “piggy bank”, raising questions about how charitable funds were managed at one of the country’s leading A-level colleges.

The jury heard that a £30,000 Rolex, £23,000 diamond ear studs and two grand pianos were bought using money recorded as expenses; one piano was delivered to the Sarwars’ home. Her husband, Nadeem Sarwar, has admitted stealing £5 million between February 2008 and October 2016. The prosecution also alleges that the couple hired a less rigorous accountant after earlier accountants could not produce proper audited accounts.