This Is Guernsey

By Nigel Baudains

FURTHER action could be taken against two luxury car hire companies after one of their directors was jailed last week.

Environment has sought further legal advice after other factors came to light in the case against Guernsey Chauffeur Drive director Malcolm Margo. He was found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice and using public service vehicles without a licence and jailed for three months.

A taxi driver who did not wish to be named said he had raised the matter of the companies’ use of unlicensed vehicles with the department in December 2005. Letters had been exchanged since. A department spokesman said the matter had been referred to the Law Officers from the outset.

‘If the department receives complaints regarding the circulation of a vehicle for hire without the necessary licences then those complaints are investigated, in the first instance by the department, and where there is sufficient evidence to suggest a cause for concern, that evidence is forwarded to the Law Officers for further investigation,’ he said.

In light of the sentencing of Margo, and other factors which had became apparent during the investigation and hearing, the department had sought further advice on what action it would be appropriate to take.

‘The board of the department will consider the matter at the earliest opportunity, but until it has done so we can provide no further comment.’

The taxi driver claimed that Margo was driving a company Daimler that was not licensed at a wedding at St Andrew’s Church a week on Saturday while he was waiting to be sentenced.

He also claimed Universal Limos’ party bus was operating at the weekend with no public service plate.

A police spokesman confirmed that enquiries were being carried out in relation to vehicles that were alleged to have operated without public service plates, but he could give no further details.

Terry Le Maitre, a director of the group which owns Guernsey Chauffeur Drive, said Margo had driven the car at St Andrew’s, but no fee had been charged.

The hirer would support that and Environment had been made aware of it.

He said the party bus did operate at the weekend. While it might not have been displaying a public service plate, it did have one.