Pub director receives second disqualification
Hedayat Hashtroudi, the registered director of Alcatrazgroup in Bournemouth - a company that traded in pubs and restaurants around Hampshire - has been disqualified from acting as a company director for five years.
Hashtroudi had already been given a three-and-a-half-year disqualification, due to end on 13 May 2018. The second disqualification extended the sanction until 2020.
An investigation into Alcatrazgroup's bank accounts by the Insolvency Service found that Hashtroudi was responsible for transferring money to a connected company, while avoiding providing payments to HMRC.
When the company entered voluntary liquidation in October 2014, creditors totalled £456,577. Over £280,000 was due to HMRC for PAYE/NIC taxes which had built up from July 2013.
Over this time period, Hashtroudi paid out almost £1m to the connected company, of which Hashtroudi was the sole director, but only £83,998 to HMRC for PAYE.
Between May and November 2014, Hashtroudi sent over £400,000 to the connected company, while no payments were made to HMRC.
Commenting on the disqualification, Mark Bruce, a chief investigator with the Insolvency Service said: "This disqualification sends a clear message to other company directors: If you treat creditors such as HMRC differently to others and in particular pay a connected company significant sums whilst at the same time making no payments to HMRC in respect of taxes due, which was the case here, then you have failed to take your responsibilities as a director seriously and the Insolvency Service will not hesitate to investigate you.
"Public services are funded by the correct taxes being paid. By not paying the taxes that were due, Mr Hedayat Hashtroudi has ultimately deprived the public from receiving the services they expect and has consequently been removed from the business environment."
Restaurant boss banned for seven years for employing illegal workers >>
Award-winning restaurateur disqualified from acting as a director >>
Two hotel directors disqualified for 16 years >>
Latest video from The Caterer
