A gangmaster in Lincolnshire has had his licence revoked for misleading the GLA and breaching a variety of licensing standards, including illegal deductions and breaching minimum wage requirements.

Nuno Moitinho, director of Soma Recruitment, has also been declared as ‘not fit and proper’ to hold a GLA licence and, under the GLA standards introduced in April 2009, faces a two-year ban preventing him from acting as a gangmaster.

When inspecting the business, GLA officers found the following breaches:

·       Moitinho claimed he did not provide accommodation to workers, contradicting records which clearly showed that he did

·       he had failed to disclose a past conviction

·       he had outstanding arrears with VAT payments

·       transport deductions caused pay to fall below national minimum wage levels

·       accommodation charges were double the level set for minimum wage workers and reduced wages below minimum wage levels

·       incorrectly insured vehicles used to transport workers

The firm appealed the GLA decision but its case was dismissed.

J Blackwell, the appointed person who heard the appeal against the GLA’s decision, said: “This is an appeal with which I have little sympathy. The appellant’s explanations have, at times, been inconsistent and have been less than frank.”

Paul Whitehouse, chairman of the GLA, said: “The law is there to protect workers and to ensure business requirements are met. These are basic rules that the vast majority of gangmasters have no problem with.

“Those who break or bend the rules need to be dealt with to ensure that legitimate businesses do not suffer.  We will no longer tolerate gangmasters whose licence is revoked and reapply.  Mr Moitinho will have to wait at least two years before he can reapply, and then we shall look very carefully at him.”