An Oldham-based director has received a lengthy ban and hefty fine for hiring 'illegal workers' and failing immigration checks at a car wash.
Records on Companies House show Mariwan Latef Saeed, of Lily Street in Oldham, established Charlies Hand Car Wash Ltd in Cumbria on October 9, 2019.
However, following a visit from Home Office immigration officers in January the following year, it was discovered Saeed breached statutory obligations under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.
The car wash was found to have employed three 'illegal workers' who did not have the right to work in the UK.
Right-to-work checks are a mandatory legal requirement for all employers in the country as it verifies workers' immigration status, whether they have a UK visa or British citizenship.
Illegal employment is a criminal offence with financial ramifications for employers while staff who do not have the right to work are vulnerable to exploitation and mistreatment.
According to The Insolvency Service, Charlies Hand Car Wash was issued with a penalty notice for £30,000 for the breach.
But Saeed failed to pay the penalty and applied to have the company dissolved on July 15, 2021, when "he knew or should have known that the company had outstanding debts".
The Insolvency Service added that he further "failed to give notice of the dissolution to the relevant parties as required by Section 1006 of the Companies Act 2006".
This act requires companies to notify all interested parties of their intention to dissolve the company, which refers to the Home Office in Saeed's case.
The disqualification notice continues: "Saeed failed to notify the Home Office of his intention to dissolve Charlies Hand Car Wash which denied them the opportunity to object to this action."
The company was dissolved on February 15, 2022, but the £30,000 fee remains outstanding to the Home Office.
Saeed has since been disqualified as a company director for a period of six years starting on February 27, 2023.
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