THE former treasurer of Amblecote Christian Centre is due in court next week to face charges of defrauding the church and a religious charity to the tune of more than £500,000.

Stephen Methuen has been charged with six counts of false accounting allegedly committed to disguise the embezzlement of more than £400,000 between 2003 and 2009, while he was treasurer at the church in Brettell Lane, Amblecote.

He is further charged with five offences of cheating the revenue by submitting over-inflated gift aid repayment claims on behalf of the charity which he allegedly went on to embezzle.

Methuen is also charged with a further six counts of false accounting committed between 2003 and 2009 while he was treasurer of the Christian International Relief Mission. He is alleged to have embezzled £117,957.16.

Lisa Rose, specialist prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service Central Fraud Group, said: “I have authorised West Midlands police to charge Stephen Methuen for false accounting and cheating the public revenue following alleged fraud involving more than £500,000 whilst treasurer at two Christian charities.

“This follows a joint HMRC and police investigation.”

Methuen will appear before Dudley Magistrates’ Court on Friday March 2.