Two individuals have entered guilty pleas to offences connected with a multi-million pound fraud affecting Cardiff Sixth Form College, an independent institution where A Level students pay more than £30,000 annually in fees, or in excess of £70,000 for those boarding at the facility.
Nadeem Sarwar, aged 50 and formerly serving as director and trustee at the college, admitted during proceedings at Merthyr Crown Court to stealing not less than £5m across the period from 19 February 2008 to 31 October 2016. Judge Celia Hughes indicated there was a "substantial chance" he would face imprisonment and granted him conditional bail pending sentencing.
Ragu Sivapalan, 41, also entered a guilty plea to causing an auditor's report on the company's annual accounts to contain misleading, false or deceptive information spanning January 2013 to July 2016. He was granted unconditional bail.
Both men will return to court for sentencing at a date to be determined. However, the case took an unexpected turn in May 2025 when, according to reporting on the matter, Nadeem Sarwar and Yasmin Sarwar reversed their positions and pleaded not guilty to the charges against them, with Sivapalan also denying the false-accounting charge.
Who else faces charges?
Yasmin Sarwar, 48, from Cyncoed in Cardiff and also a former director and trustee, remains accused of nine theft and fraud charges spanning 2008 to 2016, with allegations totalling more than £5m. She was originally scheduled to face trial imminently following the guilty pleas of the other two defendants.
What triggered the investigation?
The Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry in July 2016, citing concerns about governance, financial management, related-party transactions and possible conflicts of interest at the institution. This formal investigation marked a turning point in scrutinising the college's operations and financial practices.
The college's former overseeing charity has since been restructured and is now known as the Cardiff Educational Endowment Trust, operating as a grant-making charity focused on educational support.
What happens next?
According to recent reporting, the trial of all three defendants is scheduled to commence on 1 September 2026. This will determine the outcome of the charges following the reversals of the earlier guilty pleas.
Key Facts:
- Nadeem Sarwar admitted stealing not less than £5m between February 2008 and October 2016
- Ragu Sivapalan pleaded guilty to causing false information to appear in auditor reports between January 2013 and July 2016
- Yasmin Sarwar faces nine separate theft and fraud charges totalling more than £5m
- The Charity Commission launched a formal inquiry in July 2016 into governance and financial management concerns
- All three defendants' trial is set for 1 September 2026
