Booze baron quits as company director

Booze baron Harjit Singh has quit as director of a company fined for underpaying migrant staff, just weeks before a hearing to decide the fate of five of its bottle store liquor licences.

The Christchurch City Council licensing inspector and police have applied to suspend or cancel off-licences held by Nekita Enterprises. The Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority will consider the applications at a hearing starting on August 16.

Singh and Nekita were last year fined a combined $125,000 by the Employment Relations Authority for paying bottle store staff less than the minimum wage and failing to keep vital employment records.

Singh and his wife, Shereen, had equal shares in the company, but on July 19 Shereen Singh became the majority shareholder with 84 shares. The rest of the shares are allocated to Harjit Singh.

Harjit Singh resigned as director of the company on May 24. A new director, Teung John Yoon, was appointed on June 16.

Yoon is a partner at a Christchurch law firm who, according to his company biography, specialises in commercial, insurance and immigration law.

Yoon told The Press he was appointed as an independent director in charge of governance and compliance, and was not involved in the operation or management of the company. He declined to comment on whether his appointment had anything to do with the upcoming licensing hearing.

The bottle stores in question include Canterbury Liquor Lyttelton and Ferrymead Wine and Spirits.

The authority will also hear applications to suspend or cancel the manager’s licence of Harjit and Shereen Singh.

When contacted by The Press yesterday, Singh said he was unwell and declined to comment.