Bradford food firm Mumtaz to appeal over ban on directors

Five family members were disqualified from being company directors in relation to their involvement with Bradford-based Greentabs Ltd, previously known as Mumtaz Food Industries.

The Insolvency Service said Dr Gul-Nawaz Khan Akbar, Mumtaz Khan Akbar, Rab Nawaz Khan Akbar, Fameeda Akbar and Kauser Akbar had been banned for between two and six years. In a statement, Dr Akbar said: “A clear injustice has been done and we have instructed our legal team to launch an appeal immediately.”

The bans, which were made in the High Court in November and came into force on December 8, were announced on Friday.

The Insolvency Service said it followed the purchase of gold bullion worth £976,055 via an employee benefit trust.

Dr Akbar said: “This is a complex case that was thrown out the first time. On this occasion, the judgement did not find that the transfer to the employee benefit scheme was for my sole benefit.

“The confusing way in which the Insolvency Service brought the case has received criticism from the court and led to them being penalised in costs.

“Mumtaz employs hundreds of people in Yorkshire and makes a huge contribution to the regional economy. We had some tough decisions to make back in 2013 and sadly the company went into liquidation. But we bounced back and today the company is in robust health with more expansion planned.”