Former Keltbray managers guilty of accepting bribes

Michael McCarthy, Simon Lacey, and John Burke, have been convicted of receiving more than £600,000 in bribes from Arben Hysa, owner of Tony Demolition Workers Ltd, between 2012 and 2018. 

It follows a Home Office investigation which found the bribes were paid so Hysa’s company could benefit from Keltbray specialist labour contracts worth £15 million.   

Hysa was found guilty of three counts of bribery at Southwark Crown Court, on 12 February, while McCarthy, Lacey, and Burke – who were dismissed from Keltbray in 2018 -were each found guilty of one count of bribery. 

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said their involvement in the corruption represented a “breach of trust” in their obligations to Keltbray.   

Though solicitor, Cathrine Williams, allowed her bank account to be used by Burke to receive the bribes, the court found her not guilty of one count of money laundering related offences. 

The CPS said it will now start confiscation proceedings to “reclaim the ill-gotten gains of the defendants’ crimes”. 

“Corruption in the construction industry distorts competition between companies and makes the UK a less attractive marketplace for domestic and foreign investors,” said Andrew Cant from the Crown Prosecution Service 

“McCarthy, Lacey, and Burke ignored the rules in respect of their obligation to act in the interests of their employer Keltbray when dealing with external contractors by accepting significant sums of money from Arben Hysa.”