A FORMER senior finance officer at Southend Council has appeared in court charged with money laundering and defrauding the council of more than £44,000.

Sharon Whitehorn, 47, of Westborough Road, Westcliff, appeared at Southend Magistrates’ Court yesterday charged with 13 counts of fraud by abuse of position against Southend Council between February 2, 2010 and December 23, 2014. She is accused of falsely requesting bank transfers of £44,398 to her account.

She also appeared charged with laundering £7,581 into her Santander bank account in order to buy a home, on May 1, 2014, in contravention of the the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Represented by solicitor Laura Mcleod, Whitehorn did not make aplea and, due to the seriousness of the charges, the case was committed to Basildon Crown Court, where she will appear on the week beginning March 23.

The fraud charges against Whitehorn, are that while occupying a position of senior finance officer, in which she was expected to safeguard, or not act against, the financial interests of Southend Council, she dishonestly abused that position intending to make a gain by falsely requesting bank transfers to her account for herself.

Ron Woodley, leader of Southend Council, said: “We can confirm a former employee appeared at court charged with a number of offences following a swift and thorough investigation by our counter-fraud directorate.”

CHARGES OF THEFT

  • £3,874.17 on February 2, 2010
  • £5,530.88 on December 16, 2010
  • £4,800 on August 17, 2011
  • £3,000 on November 1, 2012
  • £5,804.29 on June 25, 2013
  • £3,500 on December 9, 2013
  • £2,000 on May 6, 2014
  • £1,409.13 on June 26, 2014
  • £1,199.97 on July 17, 2014
  • £3,295 on July 17, 2014
  • £3,241.76 on September 9, 2014
  • £2,200 on September 9, 2014
  • £4,543.67 on December 23, 2014