PRESS RELEASE : Southampton nursing agency boss Selvendran Ramar given 11-year ban for abuse of Bounce Back Loan scheme [November 2022]
The press release issued by the Treasury on 22 November 2022.
Selvendran Ramar, 35, from Southampton, has been disqualified as a director for 11 years after he wrongfully obtained a £45,000 Bounce Back Loan in July 2020.
Ramar was sole director of SJSA Ltd, which claimed to provide temporary nursing staff to hospitals, mental health services, care homes and residential homes. It was incorporated on 30 March 2020.
Under the Bounce Back Loan scheme, genuine businesses impacted by the pandemic could take out interest-free taxpayer-backed loans of up to £50,000. However, businesses had to have been trading prior to 1 March 2020 in order to qualify for funding through the scheme, meaning SJSA Ltd was not eligible.
In addition, Ramar overstated the company’s turnover to secure the Bounce Back Loan, confirming the company’s annual turnover was £180,000. In reality, in the first three months of trading the company had received just £5,500 in income.
On receipt of the Bounce Back Loan, Ramar transferred £35,000 to his personal account from the business, and the remaining £10,000 to a family member.
SJSA Ltd went into liquidation in September 2021, which triggered an investigation by the Insolvency Service. At the point of liquidation, the £45,000 Bounce Back Loan was the entirety of SJSA Ltd’s declared liabilities.
The Liquidator has recovered £25,000 of the Bounce Back Loan.
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy accepted a disqualification undertaking from Selvendran Ramar, after he did not dispute that he caused SJSA Ltd to obtain a Bounce Back Loan that it was not entitled to. His ban is effective from 7 December 2022 and lasts for 11 years.
The disqualification undertaking prevents him from directly, or indirectly, becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.
Lawrence Zussman, Deputy Head of Company Investigations at the Insolvency Service, said:
Not only was Selvendran Ramar’s company not trading by the required 1 March 2020 date and therefore not entitled to receive the Bounce Back Loan, but he then tried to divert the funds for his personal use.
Within four days of the company receiving the funds, he transferred £35,000 into his own account and paid the remaining £10,000 to a family member.
The purpose of the Bounce Back Loan scheme was that businesses were meant to utilise the monies specifically for the ‘economic benefit of the business’ which was clearly not the case here.
