Rogue builder imprisoned after conning Enfield residents

Posted 28/02/19

A rogue builder who took on contracts for extensions and loft conversions he did not complete and pressured victims into handing over large sums of  money has been jailed.

Kiamil Alkan, trading as Kiki Builders and later as a director of Kiki Builders Ltd and as manager of Kiki Construction Ltd, of Sutherland Road, EN3, was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court on Friday 22 February to four years and three months imprisonment.
 
Just before his trial was due to commence Alkan pleaded guilty to 14 counts including fraudulent trading contrary to the Companies Act 2006, fraud contrary to the Fraud Act 2006 and engaging in unfair commercial practices, contrary to the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. He was also disqualified 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.
 
On sentencing, HHJ Greenberg QC remarked on the moving personal statements from his victims and said Alkan had: “Acted callously without care for [the] misery you caused.” Many of his clients have been left thousands of pounds out of pocket and with incomplete building works.
 
From April 2016 to September 2018, Alkan had repeatedly secured contracts to complete home extensions and refurbishments but failed to complete the works. He also insisted his customers pay money in advance of starting work and then did low-quality and incomplete work. Some contracts were worth over £100,000 and he is known to have worked on 11 residential properties in Enfield, raking in more than £485,000.
 
After several complaints from members of the public, he was interviewed by Enfield’s Trading Standards team which began to monitor and investigate his work. Alkan was declared bankrupt in May 2017, however, he 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. His most recent victims were a disabled resident and a young family.
 
Enfield’s Trading Standards team had built a case against Alkan over a long period of time and worked closely with his victims to bring the charges against him. 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. I am grateful for the work of the officers and partners in bringing this man to justice and would urge anyone who has concerns about a trader they are thinking of employing to contact Citizens Advice for consumer guidance.”
 
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.”
 
For more information on Trading Standards, see our dedicated webpage.
 
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For press enquiries, please contact Andrea De Lucy on [email protected] / 020 8379 5001.

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