Liza Haines (Image: Dyfed-Powys Police)
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A woman who siphoned hundreds of thousands of pounds from a Pembrokeshire not-for-profit organisation has been ordered to hand over more than £46,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Liza Haines, 54, of Clos Cilsaig, Dafen, was jailed for four years in December after pleading guilty to fraud against Sazani Associates, which is based in Pembroke and delivers programmes in education and sustainable development across Europe and Africa.
The prosecution has now brought proceeds of crime proceedings against Haines to recover money from her offending.
Prosecutor Emily Bennett said it was agreed the total amount Haines benefited from her fraud was £305,893.46. She was found to have £46,804.85 in available assets.
Judge Huw Rees made a confiscation order for that amount and directed that it be repaid as compensation to Sazani Associates.
How the fraud unfolded
Haines held the roles of trustee and operations manager at the company, giving her wide-ranging financial control – including responsibility for payroll, pensions and VAT returns.
She abused that position to siphon £245,410.63 from the organisation between 2018 and 2023.
When the fraud was uncovered, the company’s bank accounts had been emptied and directors were forced to take out personal loans to cover staff wages.
Ms Bennett told the court that the organisation was “committed to helping communities in poorer regions”, but Haines’ offending forced it to close offices in Carmarthen and Zanzibar, cancel projects, and left it owing £93,000 to HMRC. A number of employees also lost their jobs.
Previous conviction
The court heard at the sentencing hearing that Haines had a previous conviction for theft by employee from 2007, when she stole approximately £7,000 while working as an administrator at St Mark’s Court Care Home in Swansea. She received a nine-month sentence, suspended for 18 months.
Haines did not declare this conviction when she applied for her role at Sazani Associates.
‘A calculated deception’
Dr Ian Clegg, a retired university teacher and one of the firm’s directors, told the sentencing hearing of the toll Haines’ betrayal had taken.
“We were left shocked and bewildered,” he said.
“Liza was trusted to play an important role and her betrayal of that trust struck a personal blow to all of us.
“We’ve had threatening letters from creditors which has caused personal anxiety and professional damage.
“This was a calculated deception.
“I have seen it take a physical and mental toll on my fellow directors.”
Sentencing
Sentencing Haines in December, Judge Paul Hobson said: “You knew full well the risks you were taking.
“Motivated by greed, you ignored those risks.
“This was a labour of love for the people who built this organisation up.
“You knew full well the financial harm you were inflicting.
“The effect of what you did has been devastating.
“You are an habitually dishonest individual.”
