A former company director Nicholas Marks has denied allegations he defrauded his workers’ pensions.
Marks appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court yesterday (April 10) charged with one count of fraud by abuse of position in respect of employees of Clarity Products Ltd and a further count in respect of employees of Lunar Automotive Ltd.
The defendant from Buckinghamshire, pleaded not guilty to both charges.
Clarity Products Ltd was a social enterprise providing employment for blind and disabled people.
The charges were brought by the Pensions Regulator under Section 4 of the Fraud Act 2006, fraud by abuse of position.
It is alleged that Marks did not pay his workers’ pensions between 2020 and 2022.
Marks will next appear at the Central Criminal Court on May 8, 2024 for a plea and trial preparation hearing.
In May last year, the government announced its new fraud strategy, which included introducing a suite of new measures such as a new National Fraud Squad led by the National Crime Agency and the City of London Police and investing £30mn in a reporting centre.
alina.khan@ft.com
