Cheshire restaurant boss banned from acting as director for eight years

A Cheshire restaurant boss has been banned from acting as a director for eight years after he failed to pay a fine for employing illegal workers.

Kismet Miah, who ran The Red Fox Indian Cuisine Limited, a restaurant near Tarporley, in Cheshire, closed down his business instead of paying the £25,000 fine imposed on him by the UK Border Agency (UKBA).

The UKBA discovered in July 2010 that Miah was employing five workers illegally, following a visit to the restaurant.

Miah transferred £68,162 out of the company's account and then placed the restaurant in liquidation on 6 September 2010, leaving assets of just £6,592 and debts of £63,924, thereby avoiding paying the fine.

An Insolvency Service investigation also showed that the company records Miah provided to the liquidator were inadequate. It was not possible to confirm that all the restaurant's takings had been received into the company's bank account, nor to determine the purpose of the transfer of £68,162 made out of the account shortly prior to liquidation.

Commenting on the disqualification, Vicky Bagnall, director of investigations and enforcement for the Insolvency Service said: "This order sends a clear message to other company directors; if you run a business in a way that is detrimental to either its customers or its creditors you will be in our sights.

"The Insolvency Service secures disqualifications against 100 directors a month. Directors tempted to neglect their responsibilities to their creditors should be warned, if you do not wish to join this number, then behave accordingly. Otherwise, The Insolvency Service will investigate you and you could be removed from the business environment."

Miah's disqualification begins from 3 May 2013, 21 days after the date of the order.