West London Director Hit with 11-Year Ban for Covid Loan Misuse
A West London company director has been banned from running companies for 11 years and ordered to repay thousands after fraudulently securing a government-backed Covid support loan.
Tahir Haq, sole director of Integral Maintenance Team Ltd, exaggerated his company’s financials to access the maximum £50,000 through the Bounce Back Loan Scheme in late 2020, despite his business being eligible for only a small fraction of that sum.
An investigation by the Insolvency Service uncovered that Haq claimed a turnover of over £200,000 to justify the full loan amount, even though company records showed his actual income in the relevant period was under £13,000.
When questioned about how the funds were spent, Haq failed to provide any credible documentation. The investigation found that a significant portion of the money could not be accounted for, with funds used for unexplained cash withdrawals and payments to a housing project overseas, which investigators could not link to the business.
Due to his failure to demonstrate that the money supported his company’s operations, Haq has now been ordered to repay over £46,000, plus interest and legal costs totalling more than £12,000.
The High Court formally disqualified Haq from acting as a company director for 11 years, with immediate effect from 1 July 2025. The ruling means he cannot manage, promote, or form a company without court permission during that time. The company, incorporated in 2018 and described as operating in building completion and freight transport, was placed into liquidation in 2021.
A spokesperson for the Insolvency Service confirmed that the severity of the penalty reflected the serious misuse of taxpayer funds:
“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. 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.”
Haq’s case adds to a growing list of directors facing legal action for misrepresenting their businesses to access emergency funding intended to support viable companies during the pandemic.