Construction boss banned after failing to explain £700,000 spending

A construction firm boss has been banned from running companies for seven years after failing to explain more than £700,000 worth of spending to tax chiefs.

Cristina Angelica Tasca, 27, has been disqualified from being a director after failing to provide company accounts for Angus plastering and rendering firm Angel Tas Limited when it went into liquidation.

Insolvency investigators said the missing records meant it was “impossible to determine” whether Tasca had performed her duties properly or used a lack of documentation “as a cloak for impropriety”.

Angel Tas, which provided construction services for domestic buildings, was incorporated in October 2017 with Tasca appointed as director, but the Arbroath firm began to miss obligatory tax payments in 2019.

The tax authorities petitioned the courts to wind-up the firm and it was placed into liquidation in December 2019 after Tasca failed to respond to repeated requests for payment.

The Insolvency Service said Tasca then failed to hand over any company accounts or records despite repeated requests from the liquidator.

The Insolvency Service said: “This meant the liquidator was unable to establish the purpose of more than £716,000 worth of expenditure, including cash withdrawals of £16,000 from the company’s bank.

“The liquidators were also unable to confirm whether the receipts of nearly £700,000 were a true representation of all the company’s sales.”

The case was heard at Forfar Sheriff Court in July following an investigation by the Insolvency Service and a ban was placed on Tasca which prevents her from becoming involved in the formation or management of a company without the permission of the court.

Rob Clarke, chief investigator of the Insolvency Service, said: “All directors have a duty to ensure their companies maintain proper accounting records.

“This includes delivering them to the office-holder in the event of an insolvency.

“For failing to account for all of Angel Tas’ transactions, it is impossible to determine whether Cristina Tasca has performed her duties properly or is using a lack of documentation as a cloak for impropriety.”