Coventry man prosecuted for breaching security licence conditions
On Monday 12 June a Coventry company director pleaded guilty at Coventry Magistrates' Court to breaching his Security Industry Authority licence conditions.
Jim Munupe was handed a Conditional Discharge for 12-months. The court also ordered him to pay £200 prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £26 within 14 days and he now has a criminal record.
On 4 October 2022 a counterfeit SIA licence bearing the name of a legitimate licence holder was handed to the SIA. Information received indicated that the licence was in circulation at a Basingstoke construction site. This triggered an investigation by the SIA’s Criminal Investigations Team. The investigation identified that the security supplier for the site was Ascent Onsite Services Ltd, and the sole director of the company is Jim Munupe.
The SIA’s Criminal Investigations Team sent a request for information to Mr Munupe’s registered address in Coventry, but it was returned because he had previously moved in July 2020 and failed to notify the SIA. Mr Munupe was subsequently found by SIA investigators, and he was interviewed under caution on 3 February 2023 accompanied by his operations manager. During the interview Mr Munupe told investigators that he had moved but failed to tell the SIA. This was corroborated by his operations manager.
Mr Munupe denied supplying illegal security to the Basingstoke construction site. He also confirmed that he had stopped supplying security to the site in January 2023.
The SIA prosecuted Mr Munupe for failing to inform them of his change of address.
Jenny Hart, one of the SIA’s Criminal Investigations Managers, said that failing to inform the SIA of a change of address is a breach of the licensing conditions.
The purpose of the licensing regime is to keep people safe, and to keep licence holders personally accountable to the conditions of their licence. Both front line and non front line licence holders need to tell the SIA of any changes to their name or address within six weeks (42) days from the date of the change. If a licence holder does not tell the SIA by this deadline, then they will have failed to meet the conditions of their licence.
Notes to editors:
- By law, security operatives working under contract must hold and display a valid SIA licence
- Read about SIA enforcement and penalties
- The offence relating to the Private Security Industry Act 2001 that is mentioned above is:
- Section 9 - contravening SIA licence conditions
Further information:
- The Security Industry Authority is the organisation responsible for regulating the private security industry in the United Kingdom, reporting to the Home Secretary under the terms of the Private Security Industry Act 2001. The SIA’s main duties are the compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated activities and managing the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme.
- For further information about the Security Industry Authority or to sign up for email updates visit: www.gov.uk/sia. The SIA is also on LinkedIn Facebook (Security Industry Authority) and Twitter (@SIAuk).