Landlords face jail for massive benefit fraud

Three landlords who helped launder cash from a £1m housing benefit scam are facing years behind bars. Mgcini Khanye, 37, Sam Hammond, 41, and Kyeshia Stratchan, 29, pocketed payments made to non-existent tenants as part of a nine year scam. Jurors at Southwark Crown Court heard the plot, which began in 2007, involved crooked insiders from Barking and Dagenham and Lambeth councils. Gareth Munday, prosecuting, said claims were made and ‘processed by housing benefit assessors’ in both Barking and Dagenham…