Adrian Nunn, the managing director of Kent, U.K.-based The Upper Scale Limited, which went into liquidation in 2021, has been penalized by the U.K. government after admitting he misappropriated company funds.
Founded in 2009, The Upper Scale was a supplier of seafood to foodservice establishments across London, with business operations based out of London’s Billingsgate Market. It went into liquidation in 2021, and through that process, an investigation by the U.K. Insolvency Service identified “significant tax abuse.”
Nunn, 55, a resident of Orpington, U.K., was found to have falsely accounted for more than GBP 2.3 million (USD 2.7 million, EUR 2.6 million) over six years, ending in 2017. As a result of the company’s liquidation, the U.K. government was not able to recover more than GBP 1 million (USD 1.19 million, EUR 1.14 million) in debts owed, the Insolvency Service said, with The Upper Scale owing GBP 940,000 (USD 1.12 million, EUR 1.07 million) in unpaid taxes at the time of its liquidation.
On 24 October, 2022, Nunn was terminated as a director of The Upper Scale, according to a corporate filing. On 11 November, the Insolvency Service said in a press release Nunn has accepted a disqualification undertaking that makes him ineligible to serve as a company director for any U.K. business for 11 years, effective beginning 14 October, 2022. The disqualification undertaking prohibits Nunn from directly, or indirectly, becoming involved in the promotion, formation, or management of a British company without a judge’s permission.
“Adrian Nunn fell well short of the standards required of a company director and has therefore been removed from the corporate arena for a significant amount of time,” Insolvency Service Chief Investigator Elizabeth Pigney said. “His 11-year ban should serve as a clear warning that if you fail to adhere to the tax regime, we will use our full powers to bring you to account.”
Photo courtesy of Google Maps
