Modern slavery: record $1.55m fines for ex-franchisee

Sukhdev Singh, who owned four Liquor Centre stores, will have to pay $415,800 himself within 14 days. The Samra group of companies which ran the stores have to pay up $1.138m. Singh also received the longest-ever banning order from operating a company, a three-year term starting in January. The offending took place between 2015 and 2019.

The chief executive of franchisor Tasman Liquor, Grant Simpson, told Stuff the offending happened before they bought the Liquor Centre chain in 2020. He said they terminated their relationship with the Samra group in 2021 after the first judgement against them. Simpson said they would not work with the group again and was working with the Inspectorate to “eradicate this type of behaviour” from the industry.