The boss of Asian-style takeaway in Cardiff has picked up a second disqualification after being caught running the business when he had already been banned for failing to pay significant amounts of tax
From 2008, Matthew Lasebikan ran a takeaway under the guise of several different companies, which was more commonly known as Noodlebox.
In February 2016 he was banned from running companies for three-and-a-half years after he caused the company that controlled the Cardiff takeaway, Tokyo Noodles Ltd, to run up significant tax debts between 2014 and 2016. During part of this period he also acted as the director despite not formally being appointed.
The ban should have restricted Lasebikan from being appointed a director or managing a company. However, at the same time he gave the disqualification undertaking, he was the appointed director of Noodles Catering Ltd - the latest company set up to run the takeaway.
Lasebikan resigned a month later, with Tomasz Posieczek appointed in his place. The Insolvency Service said Posieczek had been employed as a chef in another business owned by Lasebikan but its investigation found he was merely a decoy as Lasebikan continued to run Noodles Catering Ltd, even though he had been banned from doing so.
Noodles Catering eventually went into liquidation in December 2016 with liabilities of just over £86,000 and the liquidator’s report brought a spotlight onto Lasebikan’s activities.
The Insolvency Service said Lasebikan has admitted acting as a director whilst subject to a disqualification undertaking and without getting leave of the court to do so, and been given an 11 year ban.
Posieczek previously had his disqualification undertaking accepted in November 2017 after he admitted that he allowed Lasebikan to act as a director of Noodles Catering. His ban lasts for two-and-a-half years.
David Elliott, chief investigator for the Insolvency Service, said: ‘Matthew Lasebikan thought he had got round his disqualification by having one of his employee’s names on the records, while he still ran the show behind the scenes.
‘Both Matthew Lasebikan and Tomasz Posieczek were at fault and their bans should serve as an important warning that people who accept disqualifications or appointments as directors should be fully aware of their duties.’
Report by Pat Sweet
