Former Aquamarine boss loses his repute
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Collapsed company head installed partner as director of dormant company to allow continued trading
roger.brown@rbi.co.uk THE BOSS OF collapsed haulier Aquamarine UK has lost his repute after installing his partner as director of a dormant company Wollaston Haulage so he could carry on trading.
In a written decision, Nick Jones, West Midlands Trafic Commissioner (pictured), said Jason Williams had not satisied the requirement of professional competence, revoked the Aquamarine UK O-licence on the grounds of inancial standing, and also took away the Wollaston Haulage licence.
Williams had been sole director of Aquamarine UK, which was granted an O-licence in 2006 and had a contract to transport goods for SR Steels.
However, Aquamarine went into liquidation with debts of £430,368 in March last year.
To keep the contract with SR Steels, Williams had resigned as sole director of Wollaston Haulage in February 2010 and placed his partner Nicola Davis as sole director – in name only.
Williams still undertook tasks of a director, made decisions as a director and continued as transport manager of the business. He also signed a contractual agreement with a lease company describing himself as a director.
A VOSA investigation later that year into convictions and prohibitions relating to Wollaston Haulage raised suspicions the company was being operated as a front for Aquamarine UK.
At the subsequent public inquiry last month (February), Williams admitted to the TC he was concerned the failure of Aquamarine UK would mean he could be disqualiied as a director.
The TC disqualiied Davis as a direc tor for six months, but said the disqualiication period was a “relatively token one” as he accepted she was merely doing as advised by her partner.
Jones also said Williams had lost his repute as a transport manager, but stopped short of disqualifying him as a director.
He added: “Jason Williams used a dormant company where he was a director as a front for a company that went into liquidation.
“His actions were motivated by a desire to keep his business running.
“He circumvented the debt by resigning as a director from Wollaston Haulage and persuading his partner to fulil this statutory role.”