Two directors of property firm Grosvenor Property Developers have been disqualified for a combined 25 years by the Insolvency Service.
Sanjiv Varma and Jonathan England were directors of the company which sold student accommodation in Bristol off-plan and collected more than £7.7m ($10.6m, €9.02m) from investors between February 2017 and January 2018.
The student accommodation, however, was never completed by Grosvenor Property Developments and investors applied for the liquidation of the company in November 2018.
The firm was then wound-up in court on 14 November 2018 and the Official Receiver was appointed as liquidator, which triggered investigations into the conduct of the directors of the property firm.
Findings
The Insolvency Service found that funds “were diverted into accounts belonging to, or companies connected to, Sanjiv Varma”. Some £3.1m was paid to another company in Dubai also owned by the director.
Varma used at least £1.3m “to fund travel, gifts and designer clothing”.
Investigators also found that the directors never applied for planning permission and titles to the property were never acquired by Grosvenor Property Developers.
Banning
Varma has been banned as a company director for 13 years, while England has been disqualified for 12 years.
The directors “did not dispute that they caused and/or allowed Grosvenor Property Developers to misappropriate investor deposits of more than £6.5m”.
Both bans were effective from 22 February 2021 and the pair are banned from directly or indirectly becoming involved, without the permission of the court, in the promotion, formation or management of a company.
Fabrication
Karen Maxwell, deputy chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: “Sanjiv Varma and Jonathan England fabricated an extensive renovation project to create student accommodation in Bristol, taking large deposits from investors with the promise of a high-quality asset.
“Instead, Sanjiv Varma took millions from the company and Jonathan England did nothing to stop his co-director from spending their funds on international flights and designer clothing.
“Both have now been disqualified as company directors for a significant time period.”
