The director of a security company has appeared in court after one of his staff members attempted to use a fake licence to undertake work at last year’s Isle of Wight Festival.
The prosecution was brought against Ratu Baleidraulu, director of Islanders Protection Security Services Ltd, by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) following an investigation into the attempted use of a counterfeit licence.
During last September’s event in Newport, the lead security contractor, Main Event Security Services, used several contractors to supply additional security. It was on the day before the festival kicked off that the security company was carrying out checks to ensure that the security operatives deployed were legally allowed to work at the festival. During this process, they discovered a counterfeit licence.
The checks revealed that the licence was valid but it belonged to someone else and the company deduced the licence was counterfeit. The licence was retained and an unknown man was escorted off the site. Later that day an SIA regional investigator carried out a routine inspection and Main Event Security Services handed the counterfeit licence over to them.
The case was referred to the SIA’s Criminal Investigation Team who began an investigation and it was confirmed that the licence was indeed a counterfeit. Main Event Security Services Ltd provided the SIA’s Criminal Investigation Team with the information to confirm that Islanders Protection Security Services Ltd were responsible for the deployment of the unknown man carrying the counterfeit licence.
Baleidraulu failed to provide the required information to the SIA when requested and a prosecution was brought against both him and his company Islanders Protection Security Services Ltd.
The person who held the legitimate licence confirmed that he had not worked at the Isle of Wight Festival.
Ratu Baleidraulu, director of Islanders Protection Security Services Lt based in Aylesbury, was fined £300 and ordered to pay £1,624 court costs and a victim surcharge of £34. The company was also fined £250, ordered to pay £800 in court costs and another victim surcharge of £34.
Mark Chapman, the SIA’s Criminal Investigations Manager, has said:
“The protection of the public at high-profile festivals is paramount. Main Event Security Services Ltd did exactly as would be expected of an approved contractor, by identifying and rejecting a suspicious licence through robust due diligence.
“Islander Security placed the public at risk by supplying a person who was not fit and proper and had not done the requisite training to protect the public.
“Baleidraulu has now had his Close Protection licence suspended and both he and his company have incurred significant fines and a criminal record. He had also not long been a director of a company and has been prosecuted”.
More checks need to be done on the Island by the SIA.
Many people I know have said the so called security actually supply illegal drugs at the festival.
It gets worse as those left in charge of the drugs amnesty bin then re-sell any decent discarded gear as it is not the Police who do this but private companies in it for the money.
A complete joke and no surprise which type are mostly involved.
The police should run all such matters as others cannot be trusted FACT
Excellent. Hopefully this scammer will lose his business/livelihood as a result.
Mr Baleidraulu resigned from the company in 2018 and was reappointed in July 2021 ??
It is also registered to an address far away from Aylesbury in Northampton. These sort of anomalies should raise suspicions at Companies House , but there does not seem to be any kind of regulatory activity.
Maybe Companies House needs to be restructured to include the power to check the activities and criminal records of Company Directors in the interests of Public safety and accountability.
Company Directors are not really vetted but incredibly they are included in the list of “professionals” who can countersign passport applications. A massive loophole that needs addressing.
According to Companies House they are based in Northampton, and Mr Baleidraulu seems to be a singularly evasive individual. But they are probably cheap and therefore of strong appeal to Mr Giddings regardless of their efficacy.
The company’s unit is registered at one of many leased by small start-up businesses. I often see new signs appearing on these units, with many disappearing within a short time. There is an excellent pub nearby, though, The Brittania.