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PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 9:09 am 
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For a change this looks like a refusal to renew plates rather than a badge, but not clear if the badge is also involved.


Glasgow driver loses taxi licence bid over role in fraudster pal’s VAT scam

https://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/178 ... -vat-scam/

A PRIVATE hire driver who was convicted for his part in a large-scale fraud case has been turned down in his bid for a new licence.

City chiefs refused to hand over two private hire car licences – for Mullen Cars and J Mac Cars – to Cambuslang man Michael Mullen.

He was an associate of John Farrell, who was jailed for more than two years in February after using a VAT tax fraud to repay more than £180,000 he had previously made as a forger.

Mullen, 42, pleaded guilty to owning or controlling registered addresses for false businesses to facilitate the commission of VAT fraud.

He was sentenced to a Community Payback Order and a Restriction of Liberty Order.

Police Scotland objected to his licence application, stating he was not a fit and proper person. An officer said the force had “serious concerns” over Mr Mullen’s “suitability to hold a licence”.

The committee also heard he had failed to notify the licensing department of his conviction, despite it being a condition of the licence.

His legal representative revealed his client had recently been granted a licence by South Lanarkshire Council.

He told councillors how Mullen had held a licence for more than 20 years and had never previously been refused, adding he had admitted his guilt and served his punishment.

The representative said the driver had “against his better judgment” held correspondence that had been delivered to his address “knowing fraud had occurred”.

However, he said Mr Mullen had “no idea of the scale” and had “allowed his friendship with this person to cloud his judgment”.

“He definitely is sorry about being involved in this,” he added. “There’s no doubt about that.”

Farrell, of Thorntonhall, used fake passports and driving licences to set up bogus companies and bank accounts to fraudulently claim £180,591.20 VAT repayments, a HM Revenue and Customs investigation found.

He laundered £75,000 of the money through a bogus Cypriot account before using it to pay most of a £96,000 confiscation order imposed after he was jailed for five years and eight months for running a huge counterfeiting operation at a factory in East Kilbride producing fake banknotes.


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 10:20 am 
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Location: Stamford Britains prettiest town till SKDC ruined it
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Mullen, 42, pleaded guilty to owning or controlling registered addresses for false businesses to facilitate the commission of VAT fraud.


well that certainly isn't fit and proper we need the likes of him out of our trade permanently

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PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 12:19 pm 
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I can see where the council is coming from, and you can't, IMO, argue with what they have done.

However isn't it a pointless exercise when the fella can change ownership to his Mrs, his mum or his neighbour and they could license the cars.

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PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 12:34 pm 
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Sussex wrote:
I can see where the council is coming from, and you can't, IMO, argue with what they have done.

However isn't it a pointless exercise when the fella can change ownership to his Mrs, his mum or his neighbour and they could license the cars.


There is a history where a person was refused licenses by association to the wrongdoer and was challenged in Court and was lost so I would believe a precedent has been set and the licenses would be refused to be transferred to anyone who was known to him.


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 1:17 pm 
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I think in a restricted hackney area you might have a point.

But in an unrestricted ph trade?

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PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 5:28 pm 
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Sussex wrote:
I think in a restricted hackney area you might have a point.

But in an unrestricted ph trade?


ph are now restricted in glasgow

it wont make a blind bit of difference glasgow refusing him a licence as he will just go to one of the surrounding distrists and get one there and will be back working in no time
:shock: :shock: :shock:

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PostPosted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 11:05 am 
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it wont make a blind bit of difference glasgow refusing him a licence as he will just go to one of the surrounding distrists and get one there and will be back working in no time


I would hope they would look at his DBS and decide not fit and proper

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PostPosted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 7:07 pm 
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edders23 wrote:
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it wont make a blind bit of difference glasgow refusing him a licence as he will just go to one of the surrounding distrists and get one there and will be back working in no time


I would hope they would look at his DBS and decide not fit and proper


Disclosure Scotland, to be precise, but it does perform a similar function.

But the article does say:

Quote:
His legal representative revealed his client had recently been granted a licence by South Lanarkshire Council.


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PostPosted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 8:21 pm 
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edders23 wrote:
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it wont make a blind bit of difference glasgow refusing him a licence as he will just go to one of the surrounding distrists and get one there and will be back working in no time


I would hope they would look at his DBS and decide not fit and proper


nope,very common occurence here,go to a neighbouring counci with lower standards,a couple of bleeding heart liberal councillors spouting tosh like"we think xxxxx should be given another chance" and its back on the road for them

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