Kiamil Alkan, a 63-year-old Cypriot trading as Kiki Builders and later as a director of Kiki Builders Ltd and as manager of Kiki Construction Ltd, of Sutherland Road, Enfield, was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court on Friday 22nd February to four years and three months imprisonment.
Just before his trial was due to begin, Kiamil Alkan pleaded guilty to 14 counts, including four counts of obtaining credit as an undischarged bankrupt and one count of being concerned in the promotion and management of a company.
At court, Kiamil Alkan was also banned from running limited companies under the Company Directors Disqualification Act for seven years and has been made subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order to monitor his trading for six years.
The court heard that, from April 2016 to September 2018, Kiamil Alkan had repeatedly secured contracts to complete home extensions and refurbishments but failed to complete the works.
Kiamil Alkan also insisted his customers pay money in advance of starting work before delivering low-quality and incomplete work. Some contracts were worth more than £100,000 and Kiamil Alkan is known to have worked on 11 residential properties in Enfield, taking more than £485,000.
After several complaints from members of the public, Enfield’s Trading Standards team stepped in. They built a case against Alkan and worked closely with his victims to bring the charges against him.
Alkan was declared bankrupt in May 2017 and this prevented him from being a director of a company. However, he ignored his bankruptcy restrictions and continued to act in the management of his construction companies. Between September 2017 and May 2018, he secured more than £123,000 from four customers.
Enfield Council’s cabinet member for environment, Cllr Guney Dogan, said: “This was an extremely complicated case for the council’s Trading Standards officers and legal team and victims have been left emotionally and financially scarred by the acts of this rogue trader.”
Gary Clarke, criminal investigator for the Insolvency Service, said: “Kiamil Alkan adopted dishonest trading practices causing a significant amount of distress and harm for his customers and even being made bankrupt didn’t a put a stop to his unscrupulous activities.
“Thanks to close working with Enfield Council’s Trading Standards team we have secured a significant sentence against Kiamil Alkan and this should serve as a warning to others that we have the ability to prosecute those who abuse the law.”
A review on Facebook from a customer says of Kiki Construction: "Terrible company. Almost demolished our home. They did not cover the roof when there was heavy rain, as a result all our ceilings collapsed."
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