Two directors of a Spalding restaurant who put their business into liquidation to avoid paying fines for employing illegal workers have received lengthy bans.
Abu Rasel (40) and Fazlul Haque (29), the directors of Tulip Tandoori in Pinchbeck Road, Spalding, have both been disqualified for six years after an investigation by the Insolvency Service.
The restaurant was visited by Home Office immigration officers on March 27, 2014, when the breach was discovered.
The company – trading as Sogor Limited – was issued with a penalty notice for £20,000 which remained outstanding at liquidation in December 2014.
The company – trading as Sogor Limited – was issued with a penalty notice for £20,000 which remained outstanding at liquidation in December 2014.
When Sogor entered liquidation, they had an estimated deficiency of £45,277.
The matter of unfitness which neither director disputed was that they caused Sogor Limited to fail to comply with immigration law by employing four illegal workers.
Vicky Bagnall, director of Investigation and Enforcement, is now hoping this ban will deter others from trying to escape justice.
She said: “Employing illegal workers is not a victimless crime.
“These directors sought an unfair advantage over their competitors by employing people under the radar who were not entitled to work legally in the United Kingdom.
“It is not acceptable to use the insolvency process to escape legal sanctions.
“This action is a warning to other employers that, if you flout the law, there will be consequences.”
The disqualification order means that Rasel and Haque cannot act as a director of a company; take part, directly or indirectly, in the promotion, formation or management of a company or limited liability partnership; or be a receiver of a company’s property.
