Investigation uncovered large-scale criminal operation helping foreign nationals obtain competence cards
Two test centre administrators have been sentenced to more than two years in prison for raking in nearly £38,000 by falsifying CITB health and safety tests.
A counter fraud investigation by CITB investigators uncovered a large-scale criminal operation at the accredited DWM Plant Ltd in Knutsford, Cheshire.
Callum Ingram, 28, and Stephen McWhirk, 62, pleaded guilty at Chester Crown Court to conspiring to commit fraud and fraud by false representation between May and September 2019 and were sentenced to 28 months each on Friday.
The investigation found the pair had helped mostly foreign nationals to pass their CITB health, safety and environmental tests, which are needed to obtain construction industry competence cards.
Some individuals were travelling long distances and taking their tests in only 4-5 minutes by means of assistance via a remote mouse, the CITB said.
Judge Taylor said the fraud had exposed potentially large numbers of people in the industry and members of the public to risk of serious harm by providing a means for unqualified people to work on building sites with no knowledge of health and safety requirements.
Some of those people were found to be unable to understand any instruction in English.
CITB fraud manager Ian Sidney, who led the initial investigation, said: “We welcome the result today, it sends out a message that we will not tolerate individuals compromising construction site safety by facilitating some people cutting corners to obtain their site cards, without the required knowledge, skills or experience to pass the tests.”
The centre was terminated and 1,305 tests were revoked in January 2020. Affected candidates were offered a voucher to retest for free and allowed a three month period in which to retake their test.
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