10-10-08 Garage owner guilty of biggest ever MOT fraud
A garage owner was found guilty of three counts of conspiracy to defraud at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday 8 October, after an investigation by the Vehicle Operator Services Agency (VOSA) and West Yorkshire Police.
Roobik Mirzabegi, 51, of Old Lane, Beeston in Leeds, used four garages in the city to issue thousands of invalid MOT certificates for vehicles that were not properly tested. He is believed to have made vast sums of money due to the scale of the operation. Sentencing will take place at a later date.
His brother, Hakop Mirzabaigian, was also found guilty of forgery and was fined £6,500. Ten other men received sentences in January for their involvement in the case.
Alex Fiddes, VOSA Chief Operating Officer said:
"I am delighted with the result of this joint investigation between VOSA and West Yorkshire Police. It sends out a clear message that we will not tolerate abuse of the MOT scheme. Fortunately, this is a rare case and VOSA is committed to working with legitimate businesses to ensure road safety."
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VOSA (Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) is responsible for:
• Processing applications for licences to operate lorries and buses and registering bus services
• Operating and administering testing schemes for all vehicles, including the supervision of the MOT testing scheme
• Enforcing the law on vehicles to ensure that they comply with legal standards and regulations
• Enforcing drivers' hours and licensing requirements
• Supporting Traffic Commissioners to help them make informed decisions on operator
licensing, vocational drivers and bus registration requirements
• Providing training and advice for commercial operators
• Investigating vehicle accidents, defects and recalls.
For media enquiries about VOSA, please contact: Zita Easton on 0117 954 2561 or Luke Bigwood on 0117 954 3208. You can also e-mail press@vosa.gov.uk
Page last updated: 10/10/2008