The Insolvency Service found that Jamil Ahmed Mukadam, the sole director of Leicester-based Mooky’s Print and Design Ltd (MPD) had submitted false VAT returns over a three-year period, from February 2018 to May 2021.

During the period MPD submitted returns based on gross payments for a total of £1,049,887 to two supplier companies.

HMRC subsequently requested evidence of MPD’s input tax against what Mukadam had declared on the VAT returns.

“HMRC found that the invoices that were provided as evidence were invalid as the suppliers stated to HMRC that the invoices were not genuine,” the Insolvency Service report stated.

It carried out further checks and confirmed that the invoices had been falsified.

On 19 November 2021 HMRC said that it would proceed to raise VAT assessments of £173,971.

Then, on 23 December 2021, HMRC issued a notice of penalty assessment to MPD totalling £156,573.90.

Subsequently, HMRC confirmed that Mukadam “is personally liable to pay the penalty based on their findings that the company’s ‘deliberate behaviour’ was attributable to his actions”.

Mukadam has been banned for 11 years because of his conduct. The ban came into effect on 23 May.

He was 29 at the date of disqualification and his last known address was in Leicester.

MPD went into voluntary liquidation in November 2021. The Statement of Affairs put its estimated total deficiency at £19,999.

According to the unaudited abbreviated accounts for the trading period ending 28 February 2020, the firm had shareholders’ funds of £79,030.