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Scuppered Sumo is thrown a lifeline
Page 10
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• by Melanie Hammond A haulier which had its licence revoked after its director concealed a conviction for VAT fraud has been thrown a short lifeline.
Western Traffic Commissioner Phillip Brown revoked the licence of Sumo Overland Direct International Transport (SODIT) with immediate effect after it emerged that its director and trans. port manager, Andrew Williams, had been jailed for 18 months for false VAT returns worth more than £239,000 ( CM7-13 Dec 2000).
But now the president of the Transport Tribunal, Hugh Carlisle QC, has stepped in and granted the company a short-term stay, allowing it to operate for 28 days, or until an appeal hearing is set.
Criticising the Traffic Commissioner, Carlisle said: "It can be seen that he [Brown] thought that he had no option but to make the findings he did. On the other hand, the making of the orders with immediate effect was in any view an extreme step."
SODIT co-director Frank Keatley, who did not attend the public inquiry, claims the firm's representative, Paul Carless, took instructions direct from Williams: "He was unaware that I as a fellow director would be able to take over the running of the business and that a new transport manager could be found...in hindsight i would have attended the inquiry myself."
SODIT is now expected to lodge an appeal with the Transport Tribunal.
This is not the first time SODIT's future has been called into question. Earlier this year the firm was warned that it would only be awarded a licence if its founder, Thomas Garstairs, and his wife Linda were not involved in the management.