Directors fined over breach of ATOL
The Civil Aviation Authority has taken legal action against the directors of a Bedford travel company over breach of the ATOL regulations.
Michael Puplampu and Comfort Tetteh, directors of Micon Travel and Tours, were yesterday charged with two counts of breaching the regulations.
Bedford Magistrates Court found the pair guilty and ordered them to pay £3,315 compensation to their customers, plus £2,068 in legal costs.
The company has been dissolved.
The CAA said it decided to prosecute the pair following a number of customer complaints.
It said the directors of the company had falsely claimed to be acting as an agent to an ATOL holder and for taking bookings for seats on flights which did not exist.
Head of ATOL licensing Andy Cohen said: “Breaches of the ATOL Regulations can cause consumers unnecessary inconvenience and distress as well we putting them at immediate financial risk as in this recent prosecution."
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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