Trial date set for former civil servant accused of lying about GCHQ role
A former civil servant has appeared in court charged with falsely claiming to be a GCHQ intelligence analyst, the Cabinet Office's 'Head of Western Balkans' and a National Crime Agency (NCA) chief of staff.
Ifthikhar Alam, 25, appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday charged with three counts of fraud by false representation relating to job applications made between October 2021 and February this year.
It is alleged the defendant lied about his employment history to the NCA between October 14 2021 and February 4 2025 by falsely representing he had been employed as an intelligence analyst for GCHQ.
The court heard Alam initially worked at the Cabinet Office before being employed at the NCA from June 5 2023 until February 4 this year, when he was dismissed.
It is further alleged he lied about being chief of staff to the digital, data and technology director and to the technology director and senior manager in the investigatory powers unit for the NCA to the Joint Maritime Security Centre, a government body which monitors threats around UK waters, between January 8 2024 and April 30 2024.
Alam faces a third charge that he lied about his role and experience gained while working in the Cabinet Office, including about being its 'Head of Western Balkans', to the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology between February 25 2024 and December 31 2024.
Prosecutor Lyndon Harris told the court the charges arose from the defendant making applications for three separate roles, with the first at the NCA being successful.
He said: 'The information given in his applications and in the interviews for those roles was false.'
Alam, of Beaulieu Close, Camberwell, south London, spoke only to confirm his identity and enter not guilty pleas to the three charges during the hearing, having already done so at an earlier court appearance.
Judge Tony Baumgartner set a provisional trial date for February 22 2027 and granted the defendant unconditional bail.
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