Restauranter Given Five Year Disqualification for Employing Illegal Workers

A restaurant owner in Manchester has been handed a five-year disqualification for being the director of a company after an investigation discovered that he had employed two illegal workers.

Mr Norman Musa, director of NMR Trading Ltd, was found to have failed the completion of background checks on the two workers that he employed, and did not complete immigration checks on employees.

The investigation took place after the Home Office Immigration Office visited the Manchester restaurant on 2 October 2014, and a large penalty was handed to the director which totaled £20,000. However, this fee remained unpaid when the company went into liquidation on 15 December, the same year. The company had an estimated deficiency of £66,097 at this time.

An official spokesperson for the Home Office commented:

“Illegal working is not victimless. It undercuts honest employers, cheats legitimate job seekers out of employment opportunities and defrauds the taxpayer.

Businesses should be aware that they have a duty to check that their staff have permission to work in the UK.

We are happy to work with employers who play by the rules but those who do not should know that they will not go under our radar.”

As a result of the ban, Mr Musa is unable to take part in the formation, promotion or management of a limited liability partnership or company, and is also unable to be the receiver of a company’s property. Mr Musa is under the disqualification for five years, and is also banned from other activities such as becoming a company secretary, as well as becoming a member of the police authority.