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PostPosted: Wed Aug 23, 2023 11:39 pm 
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Joined: Wed May 16, 2012 6:33 am
Posts: 18538
Incredible that this guy got a badge - caught with £4k of coke, six points for driving without insurance, and he declared neither in his application :o

(Or at least the article specifically says he didn't declare the drugs offence - it's not clear from the piece whether or not he declared the insurance conviction.)


Glasgow man caught with £4k of cocaine gets private hire licence

https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glas ... e-27570566

The applicant apologised for his actions and was warned by the licensing committee over his future conduct but granted a licence for one year.

A man who was caught with £4,000 worth of cocaine has been given permission to drive private hires, with a warning over his future behaviour.

Police Scotland objected to Christian Mpata’s application but Glasgow’s licensing committee decided to award him a licence for a restricted one-year period.

An officer told councillors that “routine checks” had revealed Mr Mpata had a conviction which was not declared on his application.

She said he had been convicted after police found £4,000 worth of cocaine during a search of his car in Edinburgh in January 2018.

“After conducting a search of the applicant’s vehicle, police officers found 37 rocks of cocaine and also 15 rocks of cocaine within his shorts,” the officer added.

The committee also heard the applicant had six penalty points on his licence after he was found to be driving without “a valid policy of insurance” in March 2021.

On the drugs conviction, Mr Mpata said: “I didn’t have money at the time and reached out to the wrong people and they helped out. I didn’t know that would come with repercussions.

“I’ve never done anything like that before.”

He added: “It’s not something I’m happy doing, would I do it again? No. I’ve changed my life around, trying to look after my family, trying to look after my kid.”

The applicant said driving without insurance was him “being stupid” and apologised to the committee for both offences.


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PostPosted: Thu Aug 24, 2023 6:16 pm 
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Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2003 7:30 pm
Posts: 57355
Location: 1066 Country
Glasgow has definitely watered down their 'fit and proper' criteria.

A few years back they were revoking folks for doing virtually nothing.

Methinks the shortage of drivers, or more to the point shortage of licensing fee income, has made them undertake a 180-degree u-turn.

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