A construction boss has been banned for the maximum of 15 years after he was found running companies despite previously being disqualified.
Valdek Hetman, 61, from Ilkeston, Nottinghamshire, appeared at Derby Crown Court on 1 October along with accomplice Brendon Doherty, who received a five-year directorship disqualification for assisting him to carry out his offences.
At an earlier hearing on 28 September at Derby Crown Court, Hetman also received a 6-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and pay £750 costs. Doherty was ordered to pay a £600 fine.
The court heard that Valdek Hetman was made bankrupt for 12 months in July 2014, having been petitioned by a supplies company for unpaid bills.
Two years later, in July 2016, he was banned from running companies for 10 years for his role in the liquidation of Abbey Constructions Midlands.
But Hetman continued to run companies and following complaints to the Insolvency Service, investigators found proof that he had been running two companies: Abbey Construction Group (East Midlands) and Abbey Construction East Midlands.
Abbey Construction (East Midlands) had also been made subject to compulsory liquidation in March 2015 and the name was banned from being used again. However, Hetman and Doherty committed a further offence when they traded using the name Abbey Construction East Midlands, which was deemed similar to the banned name and allowed them to benefit from the association.
When interviewed by the Insolvency Service, Hetman boss said he did not accept the facts given in the disqualification he had personally accepted in 2016.
He also claimed that he worked as a contracts manager and Doherty, 36, from Nottingham was the real boss and the listed director of Abbey Construction Group (East Midlands) and Abbey Construction East Midlands.
Arwel Jones, director of criminal enforcement for the Insolvency Service, said: “We were able to demonstrate in spite of Valdek Hetman’s assertions, he was clearly running those companies, while his accomplice Brendon Doherty knew exactly was going when he played Hetman’s front-man.
“Our actions should serve as a warning that running a company while serving a ban is a serious offence that will land you in further trouble.”
On 4 September 2018 both defendants appeared at Derby Crown Court. Valdek Hetman pleaded guilty to two counts of managing a company while disqualified and one count of managing a business known by a prohibited name.
Brendon Doherty was pleaded guilty to one count of assisting Valdek Hetman to act in the management of companies.
