Conviction for Offering a Bribe Contrary to the Bribery Act 2010

Two men running Gatwick taxi firm jailed for trying to bribe council officer over £1 million contract

A Pound Hill man running a taxi firm based near Gatwick Airport is one of two men who have been jailed for trying to bribe a council official not to cancel a lucrative contract.

In December 2013 Saeed Shakir offered the bribe to a contracts compliance officer with Surrey County Council, on behalf of his friend Muzaffar Hussain, who was a director of Road Runners Gatwick Ltd living in Grattons Drive, Pound Hill.

The firm has a call centre in Victoria Road, Horley, just outside the boundary of Gatwick Airport.

At the time, Road Runners Gatwick Ltd had a £1 million contract with the county council to provide home-to-school transport.

However, problems had arisen with the contract, due to the company not managing a number of the routes satisfactorily. It was about to be penalised by having these routes taken away from them.

Shakir arranged a meeting with the council officer, at which he offered him a £500 cash bribe along with a promise of ongoing payments of a four-figure sum, to be negotiated with Hussain.

The quick-thinking council employee recorded the exchange on his mobile phone and reported it straight away to his line manager and group manager, who subsequently contacted Surrey Police.

The company’s £1 million contract with the county council was then terminated in December 2013.

Shakir, aka Sid Owen, 46, of The Quarry, Betchworth, was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty in November 2015 to offering a bribe contrary to the Bribery Act 2010.

Hussain, aka Muz, 46, of Station Road, Redhill, was imprisoned for three years after being found guilty on February 12 of the same offence.

Both men were sentenced at Croydon Crown Court last Friday.

Detective Constable Pete Irvine, of Surrey Police’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “

These men took desperate action when they realised the contracts were about to be taken away but their plan has backfired on them thanks to the victim, who became suspicious before the meeting and had the foresight to record the offer of the bribe on his mobile phone. He then acted with integrity and professionalism by reporting the matter to his line manager straight away.”