Security firm ordered to pay $8m to NIB

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A security company has been ordered to pay just over $8 million in outstanding contributions, penalties, and interest to the National Insurance Board (NIB).

Delivering a judgement earlier this week, High Court Judge Ricky Rahim upheld NIB’s case and struck out the defence brought by Quality Security Body Guard Services Limited.

Rahim noted that when the NIB contacted the company over the overdue payments from between 2012 and 2016, it admitted that it owed the money but disputed the figures quoted by NIB. He the company failed to adduce any evidence to challenge the NIB’s records.

“No basis or reason has been provided in the defence for disputing the figures claimed by the claimant and no alternative sum has been set out by the defendant,” Rahim said.

“The defence appears, therefore, to be simply one of the defendant sitting back and saying yes I owe you, I have no basis for saying that your figures are incorrect neither will I say how much I owe you so I will simply have you prove it,” Rahim added, as he said that allowing the case to go forward would be a waste of judicial resources.

Rahim also rejected the company’s claim that it misplaced its payroll records after the NIB returned them following an audit.

“The effect of that information even if present in the defence would in any event have not put the defendant in a better place in light of its clear denial of the sum claimed by the claimant,” he said.

As part of his decision, Rahim ordered the company to also pay the NIB’s legal costs for bringing the lawsuit.

NIB was represented by Ravi Heffes-Doon.