Farmer was found guilty of charging workers
£124 each for falsely claiming that he was able to find them work
abroad. He did this while banned from operating an employment
agency. He was banned in 2003 for 10 years.
The case began with an investigation by the
Employment Agency, a part of the Department of Trade and Industry
(DTI). A Welsh Magistrates' Court found him guilty last year of
operating the recruitment website while banned by the DTI.
Farmer was found guilty of breaking the
Employment Agencies Act, but the DTI requested that sentencing be
taken out the hands of the Magistrates Court and carried out by
Swansea Crown Court.
The DTI said that the Crown Court should
consider whether or not to apply the sanctions of the Proceeds of
Crime Act. The Court said that Farmer had benefited from the
proceeds of crime, and ordered that £20,387.86 be confiscated from
Farmer as the proceeds of crime.
The Court also imposed a fine of £2,500 in
punishment for operating an employment agency while barred from
doing so. Compensation will be paid to two workers from the
confiscated funds.
The Government said that its action was part
of a campaign to tackle rogue agencies. "The Government is
committed to cracking down on these agents, we have launched a
consultation on a package of measures to protect vulnerable agency
workers and we are working to ensure that enforcement is targeted
where there is risk," said Jim Fitzpatrick, Employment Relations
Minister.
"This prosecution underlines our message to
rogue agents that we will not hesitate to act against any agency
that wrongly and wilfully ignores the law or rips off workers,"
said Fitzpatrick. "It is essential that employment agencies comply
with the legislation and the DTI will continue to take whatever
action is necessary, including prosecution and prohibition, to
protect workers against these illegal practices."
