Top Service News
Construction Director Sentenced for Failing to Account for Nearly £500,000
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Top Service urges suppliers to act early and protect against hidden insolvency risks
A construction director who failed to explain nearly £500,000 in company bank transfers—and left creditors facing over £160,000 in losses—has been handed a suspended prison sentence following an investigation by the Insolvency Service.
Mario Huiu, former director of Incentive Services Limited, was sentenced at Thames Magistrates’ Court after being found guilty of failing to deliver critical accounting records to liquidators. His company, previously known as EMA Dry-Lining Ltd, entered liquidation in December 2020 after just seven months under its final trading name.
📄 Read the full Insolvency Service case summary here:
👉 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/construction-director-sentenced-after-failing-to-explain-almost-500000-worth-of-transfers-out-of-company-account
According to the Insolvency Service, Huiu’s misconduct left liquidators unable to verify:
- £498,480 in unexplained transfers
- £261,960 in unverified cash receipts
- The true reason the company failed with £162,482 in unpaid debts
“Directors like Mario Huiu who fail to keep accurate financial records put their creditors and trading partners at unacceptable risk,” said Mark Stephens, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service.
Top Service: Real-Time Credit Warnings That Could Have Helped
At Top Service, we work exclusively with the construction industry to help businesses avoid being blindsided by insolvency events like this one. Through our unique member-shared trading data, we often detect signs of financial distress months or even years before a company fails.
🔎 In many cases, delayed payments, erratic trading behaviour, or sudden credit events are reported by our members long before liquidation becomes public.
📉 Had this company been on our radar, our members would likely have seen the red flags early—giving them time to tighten credit terms, pause supply, or recover debts before being left unpaid.
Our Take: The Real Cost of Hidden Risk
Construction remains the most affected sector for insolvencies in the UK. When records are missing and accountability is absent, suppliers are the ones who pay the price.
Top Service helps construction businesses:
✅ Identify risky accounts early
✅ Avoid bad debts
✅ Make confident credit decisions
✅ Stay informed with real-time alerts and verified member feedback
Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late
If you’re supplying contractors, subcontractors or service providers in the construction space, the risk is real—and growing.
Let’s talk about how to protect your business.
📞 01527 503990
🔗 www.top-service.co.uk