A man who illegally employed people at his Pinchbeck car wash has been banned from being a company director for five years.
Mohamed Hamza was the first person in the car wash sector in this country to be hit with a Slavery and Trafficking Risk Order.
Hamza, of Granville Road, Peterborough, had been running M&H Care Wash on Enterprise Way when immigration officers found illegal workers in 2022.
A Syrian man in his 20s and an Egyptian man in his 30s were both employed when they had no right to work in this country.
The company was fined £20,000 for the immigration breach and the bill remained unpaid when it went into liquidation in August 2022 with liabilities of more than £44,000.
Hamza originally appeared before Boston Magistrates in May 2022 when the court was told he had completely refused to co-operate with authorities or run a legitimate business.
A string of conditions were also put on the business with the threat of jail if they weren’t implemented.
The prosecution was brought by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority.
The order application was also supported with evidence from Lincolnshire Police and Immigration Enforcement.
Hamza has now been banned from being a company director until January 2030 following an investigation conducted by the Insolvency Service.
“Mohamed Hamza hired two people who did not have the right to work in the UK, contravening the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.
“This represents a serious breach of legislation and of the standards expected of company directors.
“Hamza’s directorship ban means he now cannot be involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company in the UK until January 2030,” said Kevin Read, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service.
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Angela Eagle, said: “Anyone who thinks they can profit from illegal working in the UK can think again. This case demonstrates there is no hiding place from law enforcement and I am pleased to see justice has been served.”
