On Wednesday, 27 September 2023, a man from Cardiff named Aymen Essa was prosecuted at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates’ Court for working as illegal security.
Essa was fined £100 by Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates’ Court and was ordered to pay £846 in prosecution costs and a £40 victim surcharge.
The prosecution was initiated by the Security Industry Authority (SIA), who were informed by South Wales Police that Mr. Essa was working without a valid SIA license at a Rhondda construction site within an industrial estate on 09 January 2023.
South Wales Police officers responded to an alarm at the site on 08 January 2023 and found Aymen Essa working as a security guard wearing a high-visibility jacket. When asked for his SIA license, he did not possess one. Further investigation revealed that he was employed by a Cardiff-based security company holding the security contract for the industrial estate.
The case was referred to the SIA’s Criminal Investigations team, who interviewed Essa under caution at Cardiff Bay Police Station on 23 May 2023. During the interview, Essa refused to answer any questions and stated, “take me to court.” The SIA is also pursuing a prosecution against the company responsible for deploying Mr. Essa.
Mark Chapman, one of the SIA’s Criminal Investigations Managers, commented on the case: “Aymen Essa was found working illegally at a construction site in Rhondda. His previous history indicates that he is not a suitable candidate to hold an SIA license, and this latest incident will contribute to his criminal record. Employers are reminded of their responsibility to conduct thorough due diligence checks on individuals they hire, ensuring they are licensed and therefore suitable for the responsible job of protecting the public and premises. Failure to do so will result in further action taken by the regulator.”
Chapman expressed gratitude to the partners at South Wales Police for their collaboration with the SIA in securing this prosecution.