Three Men Sentenced for Construction Safety Exam Fraud

Three men have been sentenced for helping more than 500 individuals cheat a health and safety construction exam.

A police investigation began in August 2022 after the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) raised the alarm about suspicious activity happening at an Internet Test Centre in Halstead, Essex.

Construction Safety Exam Fraud

The centre’s co-director, William White, 63, worked alongside Kujtim Osmani, 27, and Artur Dauti, 24, to help people fraudulently pass the test.

The CITB HSE costs £23.50 and is required to gain a CSCS card which proves that construction workers have appropriate training and qualifications to work on site. The investigation found William, Kujtim and Artur charged people up to £500 for a corrupt test.

During a search of the test centre on 19 October 2023, Essex Police uncovered evidence of widespread organised fraud. The three men all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud, with William White and Kujtim Osmani also pleading guilty to converting criminal property.

William White played a leading role in facilitating a total of 511 fraudulent tests and received between £300 and £500 per test, meaning that even at the lowest estimate he would have gained at least £153,000 in illegal profits.

CITB says it has now revoked all the identified fraudulent test results and shared the information with the relevant card schemes.

Three Men Sentenced

On 29 May 2026, William White was sentenced to 2 years and 7 months imprisonment.

Kujtim Osmani and Artur Dauti were sentenced to 1 year and 7 months, and 1 year and 10 months imprisonment, respectively – both suspended for 2 years, with 200 hours of unpaid work.

Lives Put at Risk

Christopher Simpson, Head of CITB Standards Setting Body, said: “This is another excellent result following a complex and detailed investigation, and CITB is grateful to Essex Police for supporting this enquiry.

“Cheating and fraudulent behaviour is unacceptable, especially when it comes to safety critical exams and conditions, as that can put the lives of both construction workers and members of the public at risk.

“We are committed to making sure that colleagues and members of the public are kept safe, with an industry that they can rely on. CITB will be working with colleagues from CSCS Alliance Card schemes to ensure that fraudulent tests are revoked and that any cards that may have been obtained fraudulently are also withdrawn.”

If you suspect someone has cheated to get their training and assessment credentials, you can report matter confidentially via: report.it@citb.co.uk.

>> Read about more court cases in the news