Fraud and business crime question:

In 2009 and 2010, my company, of which I am a director, was awarded grants from two agencies. The grants were to be used to cover the cost of services rendered by a third party. The terms and conditions of the grants states that the service providers must be paid in full prior to making a claim from the grants. Prior to making a claim from the grants I informed the grant provider in writing that I will not be able to make full payments to the service providers due to cash flow problems. An advisor from the grant provider requested a meeting with me, in writing, to discuss my cash flow difficulties. I met with the grant advisor in March 2011 to discuss my cash flow difficulties. During the meeting it was impressed upon me that the normal process for making a claim from the grant will have to be circumvented. I therefore submitted false documentation to the grant provider purporting to have made full payment to the service providers in order to make a claim from my grants. On receiving the money from the grants, I made full payments to the service providers. The false documents were reported to the police in September 2011 and I was arrested in December 2011 on suspicion of fraud by misrepresentation. During the trial important documents detailing the full terms and conditions of the grants were not presented. I believe my actions amount to a civil breach of the terms and conditions of the grants. However, I need legal advice before I can proceed with an appeal. The conviction has serious consequences for my business and career. I run a start-up business to commercialize my invention which was a subject of a dispute with a local university. The matter regarding the grant claims was reported to the police soon after I was granted a patent for my invention. It has also come to my attention that the employee of the grant provider who exposed the irregularities of the grant claims was an ex-employee of the university that was disputing my invention.

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