ROGUE instructor walks free

ELN: Driving instructor Kulwinder Mann, who took £1,000 backhanders to pass failed candidates, has walked free from court. 47 year old Mann was ruled unfit to plead as he suffers from mental health problems.Mann passed some learners without even taking them on the road and split backhanders with crooked colleagues.It meant poor drivers, including one who failed four times, secured passes – leaving other road users in danger.Mann, of Chadwell Heath, Essex, was made the subject of a supervision order for the next 12 months in which time he will be treated by doctors.

Instructor Salima Rashid, 49, and examiner Nick Madigan, 38, both took bungs at the Barking test centre.Grandmother of eight Rashid denied any knowledge of the scam but was earlier convicted and jailed for two years by Snaresbrook crown court. Madigan admitted his role and was given a suspended jail sentence. Two other instructors, Sofia Rasool, 40, and Jasvinder Rai, 36, had also been  accused of taking £1,000 bribes but were cleared through a lack of evidence.
During Rashid’s trial, learner Gurpal Bhogal told how he was failed by Madigan on January 26, 2008, but offered a licence in exchange for cash minutes later.

An investigation was launched by the Driving Standards Agency and police spoke to scores of Barking test centre candidates.