A building contractor from Southall has been banned from acting as a company director for 11 years after fraudulently overstating his company’s turnover to secure the maximum Covid Bounce Back loan.
Tahir Haq, 46, of Norman Avenue, Southall, claimed his company, Integral Maintenance Team Ltd, had a turnover of £212,800 in order to obtain a £50,000 loan under the government’s emergency Covid support scheme in late 2020.
In reality, the company had receipts of just £12,888 in 2019, entitling it to a loan of little more than £3,000. Haq secured £46,778 more than he was due.
The High Court found Haq had failed to provide any evidence that the full funds were used for the benefit of his business. Investigators identified cash withdrawals and payments to a housing scheme in Pakistan, for which no link to his company was established.
At a hearing last month (10 June 2025), the court ordered Haq to repay the full £46,778 he was not entitled to, along with £4,078 in interest and £8,107 in legal costs. His disqualification took effect today (1 July 2025) and prevents him from being involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company without court permission.
Kevin Read, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: “Tahir Haq overstated his company’s turnover by almost £200,000 to secure the maximum Bounce Back loan available. Our investigation revealed he used some of this money for personal purposes, including payments to a housing scheme in Pakistan.”
Mr Read added: “The 11-year disqualification and requirement to repay all the money he was never entitled to demonstrates our commitment to holding directors financially accountable when they misuse Covid support schemes.”
Integral Maintenance Team Ltd, which Haq solely directed since its incorporation in 2018, entered liquidation in November 2021.
