The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has announced legal action against an accountant accused of falsely claiming that staff at a London cafe had been enrolled in a workplace pension
Hashmukh Shah, 63, of Richmond, Surrey, has been charged with knowingly or recklessly providing false or misleading information to TPR, the first time the regulator has taken such an action against a third party working on behalf of an employer.
He is accused of falsely claiming that staff at London-based Gran Caffe Londra, run by Primadell Ltd, had been enrolled into a workplace pension scheme, when he knew this was not the case.
TPR alleges that Shah did so to avoid an inspection taking place which would have uncovered the employer’s failure to automatically enrol its staff. Deliberately providing false information to TPR about compliance with automatic enrolment duties is an offence under section 80 of the Pensions Act 2004.
Shah is due to appear at Brighton Magistrates Court on 15 August 2018.
Report by Pat Sweet
