Five directors of restaurants in Yeovil, Cardiff and Newport are the latest to be banned from running companies for knowingly employing illegal workers, following investigations into three restaurant businesses by the Insolvency Service.
Abdul Boshor (43) and Samiur Rahman (24), who ran the Empire Restaurant (Cardiff) Ltd, signed undertakings banning them from acting as directors for seven and six years respectively. Abdul Kayum (46) and Rothna Begum (40), who ran the Akash Indian Restaurant in Yeovil, signed undertakings for six years. Mohammed Joynal Hye, who ran the Delhi Restaurant in Newport, has signed an undertaking not to be a director of a limited company for seven years.
In the past year, a campaign led by the Insolvency Service, working with Home Office Immigration Enforcement, has seen 27 directors and two bankrupts across the country banned from running companies for a total of 194 years for employing illegal workers. Further cases are due to come before the courts in the coming months.
Commenting on these bans, Vicky Bagnall, Director of Investigation and Enforcement, at the Insolvency Service, said:
“These cases show that by working together government agencies are cracking down on rogue companies and banning their directors for considerable periods of time.”
“Illegal working is not victimless – legitimate jobseekers have fewer opportunities to find work, honest competitors are undercut and tax to fund essential public services is not collected.”
Disqualification proceedings were launched against the five directors in the latest cases after an investigation by the Insolvency Service found that:
- during a visit by Home Office Immigration Enforcement The Akash Indian Restaurant in Yeovil was found to employ at least one illegal worker. An investigation by HMRC also found that the company had failed to correctly operate a PAYE system for its employees between 2006 and 2013. The company later entered liquidation leaving a PAYE and NIC tax liability of £101,264, and total debts of £138,243
- Mr Bosher and Mr Raham knowingly employed illegal workers as waiters in breach of UK immigration rules at their Cardiff restaurant. In addition to employing illegal immigrants both directors failed to ensure that the company filed accurate VAT records between June 2012 and June 2013 leaving an estimated tax liability of £27,440
- Mr Hye caused or allowed a company to employ illegal workers, failed to maintain, preserve or deliver accounting records to explain transactions, failed to make VAT returns after January 2012 and VAT payments after June 2012.
