Gangmaster stripped of licence after being ‘untruthful’ in interviews
28 April 2014
A West Midlands gangmaster has been stripped of his licence after he was ‘untruthful’ in interviews.
Mon, 28 Apr 2014A West Midlands gangmaster has been stripped of his licence after he was ‘untruthful’ in interviews.
Sanjeev Sahonta originally claimed to have left his job as a full-time telephone operator for electricity supplier npower to look after the day-to-day control of Premier Resources in High Street, Rowley Regis, near Dudley.
However, the company director from Handsworth later changed his story, admitting he was still working full-time on the phones at npower and claimed he was running the recruitment business in his spare time.
When questioned, however, he appeared to know very little about the workings of the company, which provided temporary workers for harvesting vegetable and fruit crops for a number of farms in the Midlands.
Enquiries at three different companies, who employed workers from Premier, revealed that none of them had any dealings with Sahonta. He also gave an incorrect answer when asked where one of his clients was based.
GLA chief executive Paul Broadbent says: “From speaking to Mr Sahonta it was clear that while he claimed to be responsible for the day-to-day running of the business, he had little knowledge of, or involvement in, its operations and was merely ‘a front’ for other operators.”
Premier’s licence was revoked in December 2012 but the company appealed, allowing them to continue trading until the legal process was concluded. That appeal has now been withdrawn and the licence revocation finally took effect on 25 April.
GLA chief executive Paul Broadbent described Premier’s case as another clear example of a company ‘playing the appeals system’ to delay its revocation and make extra money.
Sanjeev Sahonta originally claimed to have left his job as a full-time telephone operator for electricity supplier npower to look after the day-to-day control of Premier Resources in High Street, Rowley Regis, near Dudley.
However, the company director from Handsworth later changed his story, admitting he was still working full-time on the phones at npower and claimed he was running the recruitment business in his spare time.
When questioned, however, he appeared to know very little about the workings of the company, which provided temporary workers for harvesting vegetable and fruit crops for a number of farms in the Midlands.
Enquiries at three different companies, who employed workers from Premier, revealed that none of them had any dealings with Sahonta. He also gave an incorrect answer when asked where one of his clients was based.
GLA chief executive Paul Broadbent says: “From speaking to Mr Sahonta it was clear that while he claimed to be responsible for the day-to-day running of the business, he had little knowledge of, or involvement in, its operations and was merely ‘a front’ for other operators.”
Premier’s licence was revoked in December 2012 but the company appealed, allowing them to continue trading until the legal process was concluded. That appeal has now been withdrawn and the licence revocation finally took effect on 25 April.
GLA chief executive Paul Broadbent described Premier’s case as another clear example of a company ‘playing the appeals system’ to delay its revocation and make extra money.
