Scotland’s transport commissioner has refused a heavy goods license to an Aberdeen haulage firm after she found the owners had lied about its finances.
Joan Aitken has turned down Aberdeen pair Akram Mazhari and Kamyar Sadri after they told investigators that their company, KPD (UK) Delivery Ltd, had “no financial issues” – despite the fact it was facing liquidation.
Ms Mazhari, an Aberdeen University graduate, was designated as owner and director of the Altens company in April this year and applied for a national goods vehicle operator’s licence to operate two lorries.
But during the processing of the application by the Central Licensing Unit in Leeds it was found that Ms Mazhari didn’t disclose her speeding conviction and said that her company was not experiencing financial difficulties.
The application was reported and a public enquiry held before Ms Aitken came to her decision to refuse the licence.
She wrote: “Until the inquiry I did not know of the proximity of the relationship of Miss Mazhari and Mr Sardi that is that they were spouses who are and have been, in business together being over the years and responsible for the incorporation of companies and variously directors and shareholders.
“In short, it had been known for some time that their KPD company was in trouble.
“The Central Licensing Unit in Leeds wanted to know if the reason for the new application was financial difficulty for the licence holder and asked that question in the letter. The reply then received from Ms Mazhari could not be clearer ‘As far as I know the company has had no financial issues’.
“I now know that answer to be an untruth. That answer was not the answer of an honest applicant, but of an applicant who was willing to deceive the Traffic Commissioner.”
