Three former managers of UK demolition company convicted of taking bribes for contracts

London- Ministry of Justice & Crown Prosecution Service government office building, Westminster. (Image: William via AdobeStock - stock.adobe.com)

Meanwhile, a fourth person, Arben Hysa, was convicted at Southwark Crown Court of bribing the Keltbray managers.

Hysa’s paid bribes of more than £600,000 to the managers between 2012 and 2018 to enable his company, Tony Demolition Workers Limited, to benefit from the contracts, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.

The former Keltbray managers, Michael McCarthy, Simon Lacey, and John Burke, were convicted of receiving the bribes, which represented a “breach of trust” in respect of their obligations to their employer, Keltbray.

The prosecutions came after a Home Office investigation into demolition industry labour contracts between Keltbray and London-based Tony Demolition Workers Ltd.

Andrew Cant from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Corruption in the construction industry distorts competition between companies and makes the UK a less attractive marketplace for domestic and foreign investors. McCarthy, Lacey, and Burke ignored the rules in respect of their obligation to act in the interests of their employer Keltbray when dealing with external contractors by accepting significant sums of money from Arben Hysa.

“The CPS will now commence confiscation proceedings in order to reclaim the ill-gotten gains of the defendants’ crimes.”

A spokesperson for Keltbray said, “Keltbray is relieved to see justice done following the recent guilty verdict at Southwark Crown Court. This outcome reinforces our commitment to accountability and upholding the highest standards of conduct across our business.

“The verdict reflects the values outlined in Keltbray’s Code of Conduct, and emphasises the importance of our immediate dismissal policy, which was applied at the time of the incident. We are pleased to bring this matter to a close and remain focused on maintaining a culture of integrity and respect within our organisation.”