FOUR people have been jailed for corruption within the demolition industry following a hearing at a London court.
Arben Hysa was convicted of bribing three Keltbray site managers over contracts worth £15m at a hearing at Southwark Crown Court in February 2025.
The men were sentenced at Southwark Crown CourtYesterday, at the same court, the 56-year-old was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail.
The court heard that Hysa’s firm Tony Demolition Workers Ltd benefitted from Keltbray specialist labour contracts between 2012 and 2018 through bribes totalling more than £600,000.
Former Keltbray managers, Michael McCarthy, Simon Lacey and John Burke were convicted of receiving the bribes, which represented a “breach of trust in respect of their obligations to their employer Keltbray”, a spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.
“Corruption in the construction industry distorts competition between companies and makes the UK a less attractive marketplace for domestic and foreign investors,” the CPS’s Andrew Cant explained.
“McCarthy, Lacey, and Burke ignored the rules in respect of their obligation to act in the interests of their employer Keltbray when dealing with external contractors by accepting significant sums of money from Arben Hysa,” he added.
“The CPS will now commence confiscation proceedings in order to reclaim the ill-gotten gains of the defendants’ crimes.”
Burke, 56, and McCarthy, 64, have been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail while 53-year-old Lacey has been sentenced to two years.
Each was convicted of one count of bribery following a hearing at Southwark Crown Court in February.
In a statement to the Irish Post today, Keltbray "welcomed" the sentencing.
"Following the Crown Court’s sentencing yesterday of three former Keltbray employees for corruption, Keltbray firmly welcomes the decisive outcome and the clear message it sends about accountability and justice," the firm said.
"Keltbray was a direct victim of these individuals’ serious breaches of trust during their employment between 2012 and 2018,' they added.
"Their actions were a gross violation of the responsibilities entrusted to them, and we are dismayed by their misconduct.
"Keltbray fully supported the authorities throughout the extensive investigation and judicial process, and the severity of the sentences rightly reflects the gravity of their offences."
The firm went on to thank the CPS for "their action in this case".
"This verdict upholds the principles enshrined in Keltbray’s Code of Conduct and demonstrates the critical importance of our zero-tolerance approach, including the immediate dismissal of those involved at the time," the firm explained.
"Now that justice has been served, we are resolute in continuing our commitment to promoting the highest standards of integrity, ethics, and professionalism across every part of our organisation."
See More: Bribery, Keltbray, Sentencing
